Colombian Eba Project Report Series No

Home , Andean solitaire, Argyrogrammana, Black inca, Black oropendola, Brownish twistwing, Cinereous becard

COLOMBIAN EBA PROJECT REPORT SERIES NO. 4

COLOMBIAN EBA PROJECT: SEARCH FOR THE MAGDALENA TINAMOU

Published by Fundación ProAves. ISSN 1811-1246 www.proaves.org

By: Thomas M Donegan, Blanca C Huertas H, Elkin R Briceño L, John Jairo Arias B, Carlos E González O

Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

Published by Fundación ProAves. © Fundación ProAves, 2003

Photographs: © Thomas Donegan & Blanca Huertas / Fundación ProAves unless otherwise noted.

Copies of this report are available online from Fundación ProAves’ website: www.proaves.org. Electronic versions of this publication may be downloaded, distributed and printed without restriction and this publication may be photocopied without restriction. However, material in this publication must not be copied into or used in other publications without appropriate credit to the authors and Fundación ProAves.

Suggested citation: Donegan TM, Huertas BC, Briceño EL, Arias JJ and González CE (2003) Search for the Magdalena Tinamou: Project Report. Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4. Published online by Fundación ProAves, Colombia at www.proaves.org. 49 pp. ISSN 1811- 1246.

This project took place with the kind support of:

The purpose of this project was to uncover evidence concerning one of the world’s most threatened species, the Magdalena Tinamou Crypturellus saltuarius, from a combination of anthropogenic and biological fieldwork. The species had gone unrecorded since 1943. Nothing was known of its ecology and the species was considered perhaps already to be extinct.

1. CONTENTS

1. Contents

1 Contents 3 2 Participants 4 3 Colombian EBA Project 4 4 Executive Summary 5 5 Sumario Ejecutivo 6 6 Acknowledgements 7 7 Background 8 8 Justification 9 9 Itinerary 9 Map of Study area 10 10 Study Site Descriptions 11 11 Methods 15 Overview 15 Detailed Methodology 15 1. Examining satellite maps 15 2. Interviews with local people 15 3. Biological fieldwork methods 17 (a) Tinamou surveys 17 (b) General ornithological work 17 (c) Botanical assessment 19 (d) Entomological and mammals assessment 19 12 Results of Crypturellus saltuarius fieldwork 21 1. Satellite data and ground data: status of habitat 21 2. Results and discussion of interviews: south Cesar 21 3. Results and discussion of interviews: Santander 23 4. Limitations on interview data and the need for additional data 23 5. Fieldwork data 23 13 Conservation status of Crypturellus saltuarius 24 Is Crypturellus saltuarius extinct? 24 Threats 26 Habitat 26 Conservation priorities 26 14 General ornithological surveys 27 15 Entomological surveys 33 16 References 35 Appendices 37 Appendix I: Systematic Inventory of Birds 37 Appendix II: Botanical report on the status of the Caoba tree 48 Appendix III: Expedition Accounts 49

Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

2. PARTICIPANTS

Research team

Thomas M Donegan Elkin R Briceño L Christ’s College, Cambridge University, UK Corporación Autónoma Regional para la Defensa de la Meseta de Bucaramanga Blanca C Huertas H (CDMB), Colombia Natural History Museum, London, UK Carlos E González O John Jairo Arias B Universidad del Cauca, Popayán, Colombia Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Bogotá, Colombia

3. COLOMBIAN EBA PROJECT

Colombian EBA Project is the name of an ongoing Anglo- Colombian research and conservation initiative which started in 1997 and has since led to the creation of a new national park in Serranía de los Churumbelos, Cauca; the first ever biological surveys from Serranía de San Lucas, perhaps the greatest ‘gap’ in our knowledge of South American flora and fauna; the discovery of two new bird species for science, and many other exciting discoveries, publications and conservation outputs.

Colombian EBA Project is known in Colombia as Proyecto EBA Colombia and is an investigative programme of Fundación Proaves.

4 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

4. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Magdalena Tinamou Crypturellus saltuarius is among the most poorly-known and endangered taxa in the world, assigned “Critical” status by BirdLife International. It was described from a single specimen collected in the western foothills of Colombia’s East Andes in 1943 and has not been seen since. An old record from 1786 also refers to this species. With no records in almost 60 years, biologists and conservationists crucially lacked any information on C. saltuarius’ status, ecology, vocalisations, distribution and threats before this project.

Our objective was to search for the Magdalena Tinamou in remaining forest patches, with a view to initiating protective measures. We set out to achieve this by (i) studying satellite maps of the region to pinpoint areas of the study region where habitat is still extant; (ii) conducting interviews with local people; and (iii) undertaking a rapid biological assessment of the region.

From satellite data and our own observations, we found that the foothill elevations of the western slope of the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes, in which Crypturellus saltuarius’ type locality, Ayacucho (200 m), is situated, have largely been deforested and turned over to pasture from 100 to 1000 m elevation, with very few remaining patches of even secondary forest.

We conducted interviews and distributed over 500 posters in the various towns and settlements in our study region, located in the Departments of Cesar, Norte de Santander and Santander in the Magdalena Medio region of northern Colombia. In our interviews, an overwhelming majority of people did not identify C. saltuarius. However, in southern Cesar and Norte de Santander, 5 people provided us with good descriptions. Information from these interviews provides strong evidence of the species’ continued existence into the 1980s and early 1990s at least. Reports from interviews suggest that the preferred habitat of the Magdalena Tinamou is forested areas located in the foothills of the west slope of Colombia’s Eastern Cordillera. The species perhaps also inhabits foothill forest on the east slope of Colombia’s Western Andes in the Serranía de San Lucas. The Tinamou’s call, a trisyllabic “soy sola” was described by several hunters, as was the species’ dawn and dusk activity, typical of the genus.

During biological surveys at six sites located in the Magdalena Valley lowlands and adjacent East Andes, we failed to locate C. saltuarius. However, this does not necessarily mean that the species is extinct as our biological surveys were restricted to sub-optimal habitats. Land of suitable elevation in the region from which most recent reports of this species originate, above Ayacucho and Pelaya, has largely been deforested, and the few remaining forest patches are currently considered too dangerous to study due to ongoing conflict between guerrilla and paramilitary groups.

In addition to the new information about C. saltuarius, a wealth of new distributional and ecological information about 332 bird species was collected from the Magdalena Medio, a region which has not been surveyed since the 1940s. Important new localities were noted for 12 Threatened and Near- Threatened species including the critically endangered Gorgeted Wood-Quail Odontophorus strophium, the endangered Antioquia Bristle-Tyrant Phylloscartes lanyoni and the endangered Black Inca Coeligena prunellei. Two new bird species for Colombia, Barbary Dove Streptopelia risoria and White-tipped Swift Aeronautes montivagus were confirmed photographically. A comprehensive entomological collection was also compiled during our fieldwork, containing over 150 butterfly species.

Although we did not rediscover the Magdalena Tinamou, this research project was successful in collating much new information about the ecology of the species and threats to it and in collating much new data relating to the other poorly-known and threatened species from this little-studied region of northern Colombia.

5 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González Fundación ProAves

5. SUMARIO EJECUTIVO

El Tinamú del Magdalena Crypturellus saltuarius se encuentra entre las especies de aves mas desconocidas y amenazadas del mundo, por lo que está considerada en estado “crítico” por BirdLife International. Esta especie fue descrita de un único espécimen colectado en el piedemonte occidental de la Cordillera Oriental de los Andes colombianos en el año de 1943, la cual desde entonces no ha sido vista. Existe además, un registro más antiguo sobre esta especie del año de 1786. Anterior a la realización de este proyecto, y por casi 60 años, biólogos y conservacionistas carecían de información básica sobre el estatus de C. saltuarius, su ecología, vocalizaciones, distribución y amenazas.

Nuestro objetivo principal fue buscar al Tinamú del Magdalena en pequeños parches de bosque, con el propósito de iniciar medidas de protección para la especie. De acuerdo con este objetivo, nuestra metodología consistió en (i) estudiar mapas satelitales para escoger algunas áreas de la región de estudio según los hábitats existentes; (ii) hacer entrevistas con la población local; y (iii) desarrollar una investigación biológica rápida de la región.

Datos satelitales y observaciones propias, muestran que los piedemontes donde se encuentra la localidad del espécimen tipo de Crypturellus saltuarius cerca de Ayacucho (200 m), han sido considerablemente deforestados y convertidos a pastizales desde los 100 hasta los 1000 m de elevación, con muy pocos parches de bosques, incluso de bosques secundarios.

Se realizaron entrevistas y se distribuyeron más de 500 afiches en varias poblaciones de la región de estudio, localizada en los Departamentos de Cesar, Norte de Santander y Santander en el Magdalena Medio del norte colombiano. Durante las entrevistas se observó que la mayoría de la gente no identifica a C. saltuarius. Sin embargo, en el sur del Cesar y en Norte de Santander, 5 personas de las entrevistadas, hicieron buenas descripciones de la especie. La información obtenida en estas entrevistas muestra una fuerte evidencia de que la especie no fue extinta hasta los años 1980s o primeros de los 1990s. Además, estos sugieren que el hábitat preferido del Tinamú del Magdalena son los bosques localizados en el piedemonte de la vertiente occidental de la Cordillera Oriental de Colombia. Posiblemente, esta especie tal vez se encuentra también en la vertiente oriental de la Cordillera Central en la Serranía de San Lucas (Bolívar). El canto del Tinamú, fue descrito como un trisilábico “soy sola”, y su actividad durante el amanecer y crepúsculo fue descrita por varios cazadores, esta última siendo típica de su género.

Durante investigaciones biológicas realizadas en seis sitios localizados en el valle del Magdalena y la Cordillera Oriental, no encontramos al C. saltuarius; esto no significa necesariamente que la especie esté extinta, pues las investigaciones hechas estuvieron restringidas a hábitats poco óptimos para la especie. Muchas de las localidades cercanas a los municipios de Ayacucho y Pelaya, ubicadas en la elevación donde ha sido registrada la especie y son la más conveniente para ella, han sido muy deforestadas y los relictos de bosque aún existentes, representan un grado alto de peligro para ser estudiados, pues allí se encuentran actualmente en conflicto grupos al margen de la ley como guerrilla y paramilitares.

Además de la nueva información obtenida sobre C. saltuarius, se consiguieron datos ecológicos y distribucionales sobre 322 especies de aves que fueron encontrados en el Magdalena Medio, el cual no había sido estudiado desde los 1940s. También fueron registradas nuevas localidades para 12 especies de aves considerados como Amenazadas, incluyendo a la perdiz santandereana Odontophorus strophium (crítica), al mosquerito antioqueño Phylloscartes lanyoni (amenazado) y al Inca Negro Coeligena prunellei (amenazado). Dos especies de aves fueron registradas fotográficamente para la primera vez en Colombia: la tórtola de collar Streptopelia risoria y el vencejo Aeronautes montivagus. Se realizó además, una colección entomológica durante el trabajo de campo, que contiene mas de 150 especies de lepidópteros.

Aunque no se consiguió redescubrir al Tinamú del Magdalena, este proyecto fue exitoso pues se colectó una gran cantidad de nueva información sobre la ecología y amenazas de esta especie, y se obtuvo novedosa información sobre otras especies desconocidas y amenazadas de esta región poco estudiada del norte de Colombia.

6 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Institutional Support

Fundación Proaves Colombia is an institution which supports bird fieldwork and conservation projects in Colombia, and supported the project at all stages. Fundación Proaves provided us with web space for material relating to the project (www.proaves.org). Many thanks are due to Alex Cortés and Paul Salaman.

Corporación Autónoma Regional para la Defensa de la Meseta de Bucaramanga (CDMB) (with thanks to Hernando Guevara Pineda), Corporación Autónoma Regional del Cesar (Corpocesar), and Corporación Autónoma Regional de la Frontera Nororiental (CORPONOR) (with thanks to Luis Alberto Lopéz and Emilio Ascanio Lobo) are all environmental agencies with jurisdiction over fieldwork permissions in different parts of our study area. Particular thanks are due to CDMB for encouraging Elkin Briceño to work with us in the field and to Corpocesar for providing us with accommodation at their headquarters in Aguachica, and to all for their enthusiasm, assistance and logistical advice. Corporación Autónoma Regional del Cauca (CRC), another regional governmental environmental agency was of great assistance to the project in helping to obtain ornithological field equipment and the support of the other Corporaciones. Much thanks are due to Luis Alfonso Ortega.

The Royal Geographical Society is a learned society based in London which supports research, education and training, together with the wider public understanding and enjoyment of Geography. They generously approved and supported the project.

Conservation International Colombia is the Colombian branch of Conservation International, a conservation NGO, who provided funding for botanical aspects of the project.

Special thanks are also due to Dr. Mark Mulligan (Department of Geography, Kings College, London) who was of great assistance at the planning stage of the expedition and to Prof. Julian Salazar at the Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad de Manizales who received and helped identify the entomological collection.

Sponsors We were given financial sponsorship by the Royal Geographical Society, the Duke of Edinburgh and Conservation International Colombia, with personal donations by UK expedition members. Much of the fieldwork equipment was inherited from previous Colombian EBA Project fieldwork.

Individuals Logistical assistance: We are particularly indebted to the staff of the Alcaldías (Mayoral offices) and UMATAMs (farmers and minors unions) of Pelaya (Cesar) and San Vicente de Chucurí (Santander), for assistance with maps, logistical advice, contacts and other help to the project.

Scientific assistance Methodologies for the project and post-project discussions and conclusions were developed with the assistance of many people, including the following: Prof. F. Gary Stiles (Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional, Colombia), Dr. Dan Brooks (Cracid Specialist Group), Julián Salazar (Universidad de Manizales), David Wege (BirdLife International), Andrés Cuervo (University of Puerto Rico), Carlos Daniel Cadena (University of Missouri), Bernabé Lopez-Lanus and many members of the NEOORN-L email list on which an interesting discussion on Tinamou capture was conducted.

7 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González Fundación ProAves

7. BACKGROUND

Magdalena Tinamou Crypturellus saltuarius is among the most poorly-known and endangered taxa in the world, assigned “Endangered / Extinct” status by Collar et al. (1992), and “Critical” status by BirdLife International (2000), with speculation of its extinction appearing in various websites and popular publications. It was described from a single specimen - probably an immature bird - collected in the western foothills of Colombia’s East Andes or Cordillera Oriental in Ayacucho, southern Dpto. Cesar on 9 June 1943 (Collar et al. 1992). A male Tinamid specimen taken during Expedición Botánica on 11 August 1786 by Fray Diego Garcia from Chiminá Feligresia, Mariquita on the eastern slope of the Central Andes in Dpto. Neiva (05°12’N; 74°53’W, 500 m: Renjifo et al. 2002) also refers to this species. Although today’s location of the 1786 specimen is unknown, detailed notes on plumage, measurements and sexing taken by Garcia have recently been published (Mantilla and Díaz 1992). With only two records over 150 years apart, and with no records in almost 60 years, biologists and conservationists crucially lacked any information on C. saltuarius’ status, ecology, vocalisations, distribution and threats.

The war which has deterred and impaired fieldwork in Colombia started in 1947, just 4 years after the discovery of the Magdalena Tinamou. The period known as "la violencia" was soon followed by over 40 years of guerrilla - government conflict, and, in the last decade, with the rise of paramilitary groups (see further Dávalos, 2001). Throughout this period to the present day, the region of the type locality, the Magdalena Medio, has been regarded as a ‘no-go area’. Despite the complex political situation, the first ornithological surveys in decades took place in the middle Magdalena Valley during the mid 1990s to early 2000s (Stiles et al 1999; Salaman et al 2002). However, the upper Magdalena Valley north of Bucaramanga and the west slope of the Eastern Andes north of the Department of Boyacá had barely been surveyed since the discovery of C. saltuarius in the 1940s.

Because it has been considered that very little forest remains in the region in which it was first found, the Magdalena Tinamou has been considered Extinct by various conservation organisations in the past. However, prior to our studies, no field evidence could substantiate or refute these claims. BirdLife International (2000) considered that two major priorities for conservation of the species were (i) to locate any surviving forest patches using aerial photographs and (ii) to search for it in suitable parts of the Ayacucho region.

The objective of this project was therefore to search for the Magdalena Tinamou in remaining forest patches, with a view to initiating protective measures. We set out to achieve this by:

• studying satellite maps of the region to pinpoint areas of the study region where forest is still extant; • verifying satellite forest cover information with observations from the field; • conducting interviews with local people to gather information about the species; • raising awareness of the need to conserve the Magdalena Tinamou amongst local people with posters, leaflets and talks; • formulating an assessment of the Magdalena Tinamou’s ecological needs; and • undertaking a botanical assessment of the region.

We also set out to compile valuable ecological and distributional information based on an inventory of other bird, plant and butterfly species present in the study region.

8 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

8. JUSTIFICATION

The study region of the Magdalena Medio is of international importance to conservation for the following reasons: Conservation priority. The remaining forests of the upper Magdalena Valley comprise some of the most endangered habitats in the world. The Nechí lowlands Endemic Bird Area and Colombian Inter-Andean Slopes Endemic Bird Area, which characterise the region, are both identified by BirdLife International as Critical Priorities. Poorly known. EBA Project fieldworkers recently conducted surveys around Serranía de San Lucas in the middle part of the valley (Salaman et al. 2002) and by Universidad Nacional researchers further south in Dpto. Boyacá in the 1990s (Stiles et al. 1999). However the upper eastern region of the Magdalena Valley, where the Magdalena Tinamou was considered most likely to occur, had not been surveyed for birds since the discovery of the Tinamou in 1943. Threats: a government-sponsored colonisation programme in the 1960s and 1970s led to most of the Magdalena Valley being deforested (Stiles et al. 1999). Unprotected: there are no national parks or nature reserves in the upper Magdalena Valley.

9. ITINERARY

International travel: Flights from London to Accommodation: Cheap hostels used in Bogotá. towns and tents in the field with several Internal travel: Public buses from Bogotá to large tarpaulin / plastic sheets to keep the Bucaramanga and to municipal capitals campsite and cooking area dry. near study sites. Locally-hired jeeps and mules for access to study sites.

Food: Main staples (rice, spaghetti, lentils, beans and tuna), supplemented by local fresh food. An MSR stove powered with gasoline was used for cooking and heating. Safety: BH has a Red Cross diploma in First Aid.

Part 1: Preliminary assessment to Southern Cesar in January 2002 5 January 2003: team meets in Bogotá 6-7 January 2003: journey Bogotá - Tunja - Bucaramanga by bus. 8 January 2003: Meetings with CDMB in Bucaramanga. 9 January 2003: Interviews in San Martín, Aguachica, La Gloria 10 January 2003: Fieldwork at Corpocesar (a.m.); interviews in Pelaya, Ayacucho, La Mata (p.m.) 11 January 2003: Fieldwork at Corpocesar (a.m.); interviews in Pelaya, San Bernado (p.m.) 11 - 14 January 2003: Fieldwork at La Tapia and Cienaga Sahaya 15 January 2003: Fieldwork at Corpocesar (a.m.); interviews in La Mata, Besote; to Ocaña (p.m.) 16 January 2003: Interviews in Ocaña, La Playa, Río de Oro, Los Estoraques. 17 - 20 January 2003: Fieldwork in Agua de la Virgen 21-26 January 2003: Various meetings in Bucaramanga and Bogotá.

9 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González Fundación ProAves

Part 2: Fieldwork in Santander in December 2002 - January 2003 30 December 2002: Team meets in Bogotá, organises logistics 2 January 2003: Internal flight (TD, BH) and buses (JJA) to Bucaramanga. 3 January 2003: Bus to San Vicente de Chucurí, fieldwork at Parque Miraflores (p.m.) 4 January 2003: Fieldwork at Parque Miraflores (a.m.). Interviews in San Vicente (p.m.) 5 - 9 January 2003: Fieldwork at El Talisman 10 January 2003: Interviews in San Vicente de Chucurí 11 - 15 January 2003: Fieldwork in Cerro de la Paz 16 January 2003: Further interviews in San Vicente 17 January 2003: Meetings in Bucaramanga 18 January 2003: Return to Bogotá 19 - 21 January 2003: Various meetings in Bogotá

Below: Map of Study Area (by Paul Salaman)

10 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

10. STUDY SITE DESCRIPTIONS

We undertook fieldwork and interviews in two areas of the Magdalena Medio region. In January 2002, we studied sites in southern Cesar and Norte de Santander departments, in the region of the type locality of Crypturellus saltuarius - where the last record of the species was made. In January 2003, we studied sites in the Cerro de la Paz and Serranía de los Yariguíes, Santander, the region which satellite maps revealed to contain most lowland forest in the possible range of Crypturellus saltuarius.

1. Towns and settlements in which interviews were conducted

We conducted interviews in the following settlements (see Fig. 1): in Dpto. Cesar, Aguachica, Ayacucho, Besote, La Gloria, La Mata, Pelaya, Río de Oro, San Bernado and San Martin; in Dpto. Norte de Santander, Agua de la Virgen, Ocaña and La Playa; in Dpto. Santander in San Vicente de Chucurí, Siberia and Montebello; also in Dpto. Bolívar in the San Pablo and Santa Rosa del Sur region in April 2001.

2. Study Sites for Biological Fieldwork

The expedition established a total of six fieldwork study sites at various points within the postulated range of Crypturellus saltuarius.

Cienaga Sahaya and La Tapia (Municipio Pelaya, Dpto Cesar, c. 08°42’N; 73°47’W, 100 m; 11-14 January 2002). We made observations around Cienaga Sahaya, a huge natural lake formed by the meandering adjacent Río Magdalena, located to the west of the small town of San Bernado. We surveyed small forest regions and aquatic habitats adjacent to the cienaga. La Tapia is a farm bordering Cienaga Sahaya on which we studied a small and heavily degraded forest patch, grazed regularly by a cattle herd. The forest patch was located c. 1 km from the Río Magdalena and c. 800 m from the Cienaga. Despite its small size and heavily disturbed understorey, this site constitutes one of the largest forest patches in the lowlands of south Cesar. Trees rose to c. 20m, and were mostly bare of epiphytes. The forest was characterised by a very sparse understorey and thick canopy, typical of secondary growth of perhaps 30 - 40 years of age at this elevation. Conditions were extremely hot (30°C minimum nightly temperature, rising to 38-40°C by day) with a high abundance of mosquitoes.

Above: Cienaga Sahaya

Corpocesar, Aguachica (Municipio Aguachica, Dpto. Cesar, c. 08°19’N; 73°38’W, 350 m, 10 - 11 & 15 January 2002). Corpocesar’s southern headquarters are located on the outskirts of Aguachica, 3 km north of the town centre on the Magdalena Troncal. We studied a typically narrow belt of low secondary growth (canopy of 8 m; non-deforested area perhaps 60 m diameter at widest point) which followed a dry stream valley, c. 1 km east of Corpocesar’s headquarters.

11 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González Fundación ProAves

Agua de la Virgen (Municipio Ocaña, Dpto Norte de Santander, c. 08°13’N; 73°24’W, 1600 - 1750 m, 17 - 20 January 2002). At Agua de la Virgen, a patch of primary forest has been preserved since 1711 when a woodcutter discovered a purported image of the Virgin Mary in a tree trunk he was felling. A church (see photo below) was established on the site of the discovery, and, in 1906, the occurrence was declared a miracle by Pope Pius X (Rodriguez 1980: see photos below). Hunting and cutting trees have been prohibited for over two centuries. This primary premontane cloud forest constitutes the best preserved forest in the 2002 study region, although at an unlikely high elevation for Crypturellus saltuarius. The forest is characterised by strong lateral winds and regular, though not daily, ground-level ground cover. Bamboo Carrizo graminae and lianas were prevalent. The canopy was broken, with the highest trees perhaps 20 m high. Our camp and study area were located in secondary forest c. 100 m elevation above the church, and situated just below the western / eastern slope ridge of the Cordillera.

Right: Agua de la Virgen church, showing forest behind.

Above: the story of Agua de la Virgen. From left: (i) woodcutter at work; (ii) the discovery of the effigy of the Virgen Mary; (iii) taking the relic to Ocaña; (iv) showing it to the people there; (v) pilgrimages.

Parque Miraflores (Municipio San Vicente de Chucurí, Dpto Santander, 06°52´53"N 73°24´51"W, 750 m, 2-3 January 2003). Abutting the east of San Vicente de Chucurí’s town centre is a municipal park. In order to assist the local mayoralty with ecotourism plans, due to the potential for establishing a botanical gardens at the site, we produced the first bird and insect inventory of this small woodland, which is largely dominated by exotic ornamental vegetation. Above: Parque Miraflores

12 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

Montebello, Cuchilla (Serranía) de la Paz (Above Montebello, Municipio Zapatoca, Dpto. Santander, 6°58’30’’N; 73°25’40’’W; 1000 m, 12 - 15 January 2003). Montebello is an historic estate established in the 1840s by German commercialist Geo von Lenguerke, whose business interests led to San Vicente de Chucurí first becoming an important economic region. We followed a trail ascending from Montebello (c. 800 m) into the Cuchilla de la Paz, and established a camp site on the eastern slope of the Cuchilla at 1000 m elevation, approximately half way between the settlements of Montebello and Matecacao. The site was dominated by lowland tree species, with many trees over 2.5 m diameter at breast height, and rising to over 25 - 30 m height. The understorey was thicker than that at La Tapia, but still reasonably low and sparse. Huge lianas were also prevalent, with some over 0.5 m diameter. Again, our site was located on steep slopes within primary forest. Being good quality lowland forest in the Magdalena Valley, we considered this forest to be of extremely high conservation value, although deforestation pressure for fine woods and coca farming appear to be escalating alarmingly.

Above: Cerro de la Paz study site and an enormous tree typical of those found at this site.

El Talisman and the Camino de Lenguerke, Serranía (Cuchilla) de los Yariguíes (Cobardes). (Municipio San Vicente de Chucurí, Dpto Santander, 6°50’57’’N; 73°21’51’’W, 2000 m, 5 - 9 January 2003). Serranía de los Yariguíes is an isolated spur of Colombia’s Eastern Cordillera, rising from the Magdalena Valley to páramo habitat. It extends to 500,000 ha in area, of which 38% remains intact with forest, 26% is farmed for crops (mostly coffee and cocoa) and 35% is pasture (Gutiérrez, 2002). An historic stone trail (see below) traverses the Serranía de los Yariguíes from Montebello, through San Vicente de Chucurí to Zapatoca. The trail was laid by slaves of Geo von Lenguerke in the 1840s, but subsequently fell into disuse and became overgrown. The trail was recently re-opened following a grant by the Colombian tourist board, and is now used for recreational purposes by walkers and hunters. Above a small farm called Siberia (1380 m), the trail ascends rapidly, and at c. 1650 m elevation starts to enter forest. We located a campsite at 2000 m elevation, located immediately below one of the “Tetas de San Vicente” along a ridgetop below Finca El Talisman. The forest was cool and humid with frequent ground-level cloud. Due to the steep slopes, the average canopy height was c. 12 m, with emergent trees rising to 15 m. We concentrated our studies on the area west of El Talisman within forest along the Camino de Lenguerke. The site was characterised by extremely steep slopes either side of the trail and was located in primary montane forest, with secondary areas around El Talisman also subject to observations.

13 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González Fundación ProAves

Above: The Camino de Lenguerke and Serranía de los Yariguíes.

Table 1: Summary of location and field effort information for each study site . Location Co-ordinates Altitude Life Zone Days at site Forest type When studied La Tapia 08°42’N; Magdalena Valley 4 Lowland secondary 2002 100 m 73°47’W growth Corpocesar 08°19’N; West slope of E Andes Lowland secondary 2002 350 m 3 73°38’W growth Agua de la Virgen 08°13’N; Ridge / east slope of E Upper Premontane 2002 1,500 m 4 73°24’W Andes humid [cloud] forest Miraflores 06°52´53" N West slope of Srra de Lowland forest of 2003 73°24´51" W 750 m los Yariguíes; west 2 ornamental slope of E Andes vegetation Montebello 06°58’30’’N; East slope of Cerro de la 2003 73°25’40’’W 1,000 m Paz, western foothills of 5 Dry lowland forest E Andes El Talisman 06°50’57’’N; West slope of Srra de 2003 Upper montane 73°21’51’’W 2,000 m los Yariguíes; west 5 cloud forest slope of E Andes

14 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

11. METHODS

11.1 Overview

Our methods involved: 1. Examination of recent satellite maps of the region to determine forest extent and potential study areas. High quality land-use satellite maps from 1995 by Instituto Geográfico Agustin Codazzi (IGAC). 2. Poster campaign. To raise awareness, we produced and distributed over 500 posters depicting the Magdalena Tinamou. We gave these out to local people and placed them in important civic centres and notice boards. 3. Interviews with local people. Interviews focused on hunters and used our posters together with plates from Birds of Colombia. 4. Fieldwork in southern Cesar and Norte de Santander. In selected remnant forest patches. Fieldwork at sites pinpointed during interviews. ∗ Tinamou surveys: based largely on transect work, walking trails 1 hour before dawn and dusk, the known peak time for Tinamid vocalisation, using direct field observation, tape-recording and playback to locate the species. ∗ Additional bird and butterfly surveys, in the forms of inventories to collect valuable new distributional and taxonomic data from this poorly-known region. ∗ Botanical assessment: of each site to help understand habitat requirements of the Magdalena Tinamou.

11.2 Detailed Methodology

1. Examining satellite maps

High quality land-use satellite maps from 1995 produced by Instituto Geográfico Agustin Codazzi (IGAC) in Bogotá have proved immensely useful in EBA Project work in the past (e.g. on the Serranía de San Lucas project in 1999-2001: see Salaman and Donegan in press). These maps were used, in conjunction with direct observations of habitat and talks with local people, to locate any remaining regions of forest at suitable elevations in the study areas.

Fieldwork and interviews were then concentrated most intensively on regions where vegetation was shown still to be extant, as it was expected that such regions were most likely to contain populations of the Magdalena Tinamou, considering the habitat preferences of the species’ closest relatives, such as Red-legged Tinamou Crypturellus erythropus.

2. Interviews with local people

Before starting fieldwork, the support of local people is paramount. We made contact with road police, local government leaders (e.g. mayoral staff), farmers’ union leaders and the military.

We produced a large number of posters and leaflets before leaving for the field (see below). These depicted Crypturellus saltuarius to raise awareness, provided a description of the bird, explained its rarity, and encouraged people not to hunt it. Posters were placed in public places such as government buildings and the central plaza. We distributed posters to all local people we met, with 500 posters distributed or posted during fieldwork.

During the preliminary assessment, we conducted interviews with as many people as possible to collate information on the Magdalena Tinamou. Questions took an ‘open discussion’ form, rather than using a questionnaire, in order not to put answers into people’s mouths, and such that interviewees could be as relaxed as possible. E.g. “Have you seen any Tinamous in this area?”; “How many different types are there?”; “What do the different types look like?” “Where are they found?”; “How do they call?”. This is a preferable approach to the use of ‘closed’ questions, e.g. “Are there any Tinamous here, about medium sized with red legs?”, as the responses are not biased by the questions, and people do not give the answer that the investigator ‘wants to hear’. Such talks also

15 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González Fundación ProAves built up a conversation, building up interest and trust. Detailed notes were taken where good information was forthcoming from interviewees.

Where responses were positive, we asked further questions about the species’ habits and behaviour, such as when the interviewee had last seen the species and where, how rare it was, how it called and so on, such that we could locate potential sites for future fieldwork. Where we encountered people knowledgeable about birds and animals, we took additional notes on the presence of other rare species which are a frequent target of hunting, such as Crax Curassows and large mammal species. Above: Interviews with local people. Photo: (c) Paul Salaman / Colombian EBA Project / Fundación Proaves.

Below: Proyecto Tinamú poster.

16 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

3. Biological Fieldwork methods

(a) Tinamou Surveys Tinamou surveys were based largely on transect work, walking trails for 2 hours each around dawn and dusk. Other Tinamids show very pronounced daily activity patterns, with a much greater frequency of vocalisation noted at dawn, and most intensively at dusk (Davies, 2002). Identification by call is essential in tropical forests, where many species, particularly Tinamidae, are difficult both to see and to identify visually. A Sharp MD-MT80 Mini-Disc Recorder was used for tape-recording of bird species during transects.

(b) General ornithological work

We also conducted surveys of other bird species during the day and night to collect valuable new distributional data from this poorly-known region, and also to search for other threatened species.

Right: processing birds in Cuchilla de la Paz

We took notes of all other bird and large mammal species encountered during transect work. Additionally, we operated 180 m of mist-nets from c. 6 am to c. 5 pm, with nets opened whilst undertaking Tinamou transects, then checked again at the end of Tinamou surveys, and closed an hour earlier than on previous EBA expeditions. It was considered that this would be a worthwhile investment of time which did not adversely impact on Tinamou work. Techniques followed standard mist-netting techniques, supplemented with non-systematic observations with binoculars and sound- recording, using techniques developed on previous EBA Project expeditions:

Non-systematic observations: • Close attention was given to multi-species foraging flocks. • Fruiting and flowering trees were regularly visited, as they attract large concentrations of frugivores and nectarivores. • Viewpoints over the forest canopy provided opportunities to see large supra-canopy species. • Night surveys were undertaken for crepuscular and nocturnal species.

During observation periods, interesting details of selected species were noted such as: species, age, sex; number of individuals; other species present in association; habitat preferences and forest strata used. Additional notes were taken on rare or poorly known species, such as behaviour, vocalisations, foraging strategies and food. Record photographs were taken of important species encountered in the field.

Above: Todirostrum sylvia

Tape-recording and playback of skulking and nocturnal birds As for Tinamou surveys, but applied to other bird species. A special effort was made to document the presence of each species encountered as fully as possible: tape recordings therefore concentrated on those species not mist-netted, such as large terrestrial birds, nocturnal species and canopy species.

17 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González Fundación ProAves

Intensive diurnal mist-netting

Consistently, mist-netting has proved reliable and beneficial in the tropics, reducing variability in data and providing considerable insights into the dynamics of avian populations and communities in a relatively short period of time (e.g. Karr 1981). Mist-netting maximises species encounter rates, allowing an inventory to be compiled rapidly and provides for standardised capture data and the photographic documentation of records. The following protocol has been developed from Salaman (1994) and further on EBA Project fieldwork in subsequent years (Donegan and Dávalos 1999; Salaman et al. 1999; Above: mist-nets Salaman et al. 2002), but modified in order not to compromise Tinamou work.

A combination of fifteen 12-metre mist-nets were operated. Nets remained open over 5 continuous days at each site from 06:00 until 16:00 - 17:00 hrs to allow for dusk Tinamou surveys.

Nets were checked on a continuous basis (every 45 minutes to 1 hour). The processing of trapped birds was standardised to increase reliability, accuracy and efficiency of data collection, with birds processed in the following order: i) identified to species (largely based on Hilty and Brown [1986]); ii) metal ringed (most species) or tail feather snipped (Hummingbirds and other species with very small tarsi such as small tyrannulets); iii) age and sex determination (plumage, brood patch or cloacal protuberance noted); iv) moult examination (body, wing and tail); v) biometrics: weight, wing, body, tail, tarsus and culmen length; vi) time the bird is caught to nearest 60 minutes.

For re-captured birds, the time, net site and ring number were noted. In order to confirm important records and to aid taxonomical research, photographs of each species from various angles (representative of all plumage-types) were taken and developed in print and electronically. A small number of bird specimens from mist-netting mortality were prepared as flat skins in the field and deposited at Instituto de Ciencias Naturales (ICN) of Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá and at the Museo de Historia Natural of Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga.

18 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

A botanical assessment was undertaken to complement ornithological and Tinamou work. The following procedure was adopted: • Observations for general forest characterisation (half a day per transect): records of epiphyte density, principal families of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, to produce a forest characterisation and life-zone determination with notes taken on dominant family groups, relative epiphyte density, canopy height etc. • Herbarium-assisted determination of materials (to genus and species level) using the collections at ICN and UniCauca. • A special effort was made to record the local names and uses of plants with local people.

Additional funding from Conservation International was specifically provided to obtain information form interviews on an endangered tree species, “Caoba” Swietenia macrophylla. This was coordinated in conjunction with Tinamou interview work.

Surveys also focused on the “Piñuela” Bromelia pinguin, a plant species considered to be important for the Crypturellus erythropus superspecies (Friedman and Smith 1955).

Right: Bromelia pinguin. Photos: (c) Philippe Faucon

(d) Entomological assessment

Due to BH and JJA’s additional knowledge of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera, butterfly nets and canopy nets (for Lepidoptera) and pitfall traps (for Coleoptera) were used at each site to produce an inventory in these groups. Coleoptera and Lepidoptera are considered an important food item for Crypturellus (Friedman and Smith 1955). As these groups peak in activity during the brightest sunlight hours when bird activity is very low, and when 2 other team members could valuably check mist-nets and conduct observations, this was considered a valuable use of expedition time.

19 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González Fundación ProAves

Approximate team member time budgeting Time Ornithologists / Entomologists Botanist 00:00 Sleep 05:00 Tinamou transects. 06:00 Continue transects (and simultaneously open nets) Breakfast 07:00 Mist-nets 10 x botanical 08:00 transects 09:00 Each transect; 10:00 mist-nets and observation for rest of morning 100 x 2 m transects 12:00 Lunch and data processing 13:00 Mist-netting / Observations non-systematic 14:00 Except BH / JJA: Lepidoptera trapping searches 15:00 and pitfall traps 16:00 Identification of 17:00 Close mist-nets; further Tinamou transect work specimens 18:00 Dinner 19:00 Dinner; collate notes Preparation of 20:00 botanical samples 21:00 00:00 Sleep

20 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

12. RESULTS OF Crypturellus saltuarius FIELDWORK

1. Satellite data and ground data: status of habitat

The foothill elevations of the eastern slope of the Cordillera Oriental, in which Crypturellus saltuarius’ type locality, Ayacucho (200 m), is situated, have largely been deforested from 100 to 1000 m elevation in our study region. We estimate that old secondary or primary forest cover is approximately 1-2% at foothill elevations - mostly along river valleys (see photos on page 24) and on some isolated hilltops, with c. 3-4% young secondary and older scrub growth. In the vicinity of the Río Magdalena and Cienagas (large natural lakes), some forest patches were still in evidence, but mostly mangroves or riverside forest (cover of forest at c. 5% in this region). There is some evidence of more sizeable forest patches on higher elevations of the western slope of the cordillera, although cloud coverage on satellite maps and our distance from the cordillera during surveys made this difficult to assess.

The largest forest patch in the region of to the type locality is a c. 5,600km2 expanse of c.95% intact forest at 600 – 2400 m elevation in the region of Catatumbo National Park (73°00–73°25W; 08°34’– 09°00’N). However, most (c. 80-90%) of the Park is located on the eastern slope of the Cordillera where C. saltuarius is expected to be replaced by C. erythropus in suitable habitat, and much of this land is of too high an elevation (assuming that saltuarius has a similar elevational range to other members of the C. erythropus superspecies in northern Colombia). CORPONOR staff reported that Catatumbo National Park has been subject to significant recent deforestation for timber and coca farming since our 1995 maps were produced.

We made repeated detailed observations of the state of the forest along a c. 75 km length of the Cordillera from the Magdalena Troncal, a road which runs parallel to the Eastern Cordillera between Aguachica and Pelaya. We also made observations of the Cordillera south to Bucaramanga and into the Cordillera at Ocaña. Throughout the study area, we noted extremely low forest cover levels, with further deforestation since 1995 also evident.

In the Serranía de los Yariguíes, the deforestation situation is much less severe (estimated intact forest is at 38% - Guttiérez 2002). However, the lowland regions have borne the brunt of deforestation. Lowland dry forest still exists in the region, particularly on the eastern slope of the Cerro de la Paz, in the region of La Putana and on small hillocks in the valley of the Río Chucurí. However, as in Dpto. Cesar, the best surviving forest patches are largely at higher elevations above 1500 m, where C. saltuarius is unlikely to occur.

2. Results and discussion of interviews: south Cesar

Generally

We distributed c. 300 posters in the South Cesar region. Of the c. 150 people we spoke to, who included c. 20 interviewees who were recommended to us as old hunters or bird or nature experts and with whom detailed interviews were conducted, only 5 people reliably reported the Magdalena Tinamou, and perhaps only another 20 were aware of “gallinetas del monte” in general (i.e. descriptions of Little Tinamou C. soui and, rarely, Great Tinamou Tinamus major). The lack of awareness was such that many more people identified the farmyard bird Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris (photo below) as a gallineta than identified a Tinamidae sp. Many more people were aware of even the critically endangered “Paujil” Blue-billed Curassow Crax alberti than any Tinamou species.

21 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

Left: Numida meleagris (a gallineta, but not a Tinamou)

Notes and discussions of information from specific interviews

Although we interviewed several people in Ayacucho, the type locality, only one interviewee recognised the bird on our poster. David Barranco, a 63-year-old former hunter who had lived in Ayacucho for 34 years, knew of three gallinetas in the region: one small, one medium-sized and one large species (i.e. C. soui, C. saltuarius and Tinamus major). After providing a good description of C. saltuarius, including its red legs, he immediately recognised the bird on our poster. He described C. saltuarius’ local name as “soy sola” (Translation: “I am alone”). The name is onomatopoeic as the bird sings a trisyllabic refrain. Sr. Barranco used to hear and see the species regularly from c. 0500-0600 and 1600-1800 hrs in the mountains above Pelaya, near Quebrada La Virgen and in the Cerros de Bobalí, although he said that it was not as numerous as the smaller gallineta (i.e. C. soui). These localities lie on the western slope of the Eastern Cordillera and up to c. 1200 m elevation. Sr. Barranco retired from hunting 25 years ago, and had not seen the species since. He said that it was not as widely hunted as were Crax alberti or Penelope spp, although it was hunted opportunistically.

The evidence from Sr. Barranco is compelling of the species’ continued existence at least into the 1970’s. The dawn and dusk calling is behaviour very characteristic of tinamous, and the described call does not resemble either C. soui, T. major or any of the highland tinamous or other large ground birds (e.g. Odontophorus, Geotrygon, Penelope, Colinus or Crax) of northern Colombia. The call described is also remarkably similar to other medium-sized red-legged Crypturellus. The voice of C. erythropus is described as “whooo-hooa” (Hilty and Brown 1986). Interestingly, both Souza (1998) and Davies (2002) transcribe C. erythropus’ song as “soy so-la”. That Sr. Barranco gave the same description for birds fitting the description of C. saltuarius in Ayacucho in the 1970s makes this extremely compelling evidence.

In La Mata, another ex-hunter, Martin Suarez, also identified the bird in our poster as the “soy sola” and told us of its song. He said he had seen it in the region of San Calixto until about 12-15 years ago (the late 1980s). Another old hunter from La Mata, who did not provide his name, said that he had seen the bird in the eastern Cordillera and in the lowlands of Serranía de San Lucas. Their information was apparently reliable, though not as detailed, complete or precise as Sr. Barranco’s.

In Río de Oro, a man nicknamed “El Curioso” not have been accessible at the time the bird owns a large private zoo which remarkably was apparently caught (the early 1980s), included a Little Tinamou C. soui, a highly without a c. 250 km river and road journey via unusual species in captivity. He immediately Nechí. recognised the picture of C. saltuarius on our Below: C. soui in captivity, Río de Oro poster with its more red-brown plumage and red legs and claimed to have had one in his collection, until it died 10 years ago at the age of about 8-10 years. This bird had been purchased from a hunter who captured it in the Serranía de San Lucas. It is probable that this bird would have been captured on the eastern flank of San Lucas as the western flank would

22 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

Reliability of reports from Serranía de San Lucas

The Serranía de San Lucas is close to a zone where Colombian Tinamou C. columbianus may replace C. saltuarius. C. columbianus is known from the Nechí lowlands to the west of Serranía de San Lucas. However, neither saltuarius nor columbianus has been recorded on the dryer eastern flank of Serranía de San Lucas where recent interviews and surveys, albeit only in disturbed habitats below 1000 m, failed to locate either taxon (Salaman and Donegan in press). We consider it more likely that columbianus and saltuarius are (were) separated by the Central Andes with saltuarius inhabiting the dryer Magdalena Valley and columbianus restricted to the more humid forest of the Nechí lowlands. This view is given some support by the Expedición Botánica saltuarius skin which was collected on the eastern slope of the Central Andes. The possibility that the range of columbianus extends into the Río Magdalena valley cannot be discounted entirely, although we consider this to be a less plausible analysis.

3. Results and discussion of interviews: Santander

We distributed c. 250 posters in the San Vicente de Chucurí region, mainly in schools, offices, public buildings and other public places. However, our work here concentrated more on fieldwork than in towns, as forest patches were accessible, relatively safe and of good quality. Nonetheless, interviews yielded interesting information. Of the c. 60-70 people we spoke to, perhaps 70-80% knew that the bird on the poster was a “gallineta de monte” or “chiriri”, the latter being a local colloquial name for C. soui. Hunting remains extremely popular in the region, despite historical political instability. A “hunters’ club” is particularly popular in San Vicente, and during fieldwork at El Talisman over a bank holiday weekend, a large number of recreational hunters passed by our campsite. We interviewed several of the region’s most active hunters, including people we met in the field. Hunters gave ambiguous but overall negative replies with respect to the Magdalena Tinamou. A vast majority of the active hunters were aware of C. soui but most did not recognise the picture of C. saltuarius on our poster at all. Five people gave tantalising descriptions of a second Tinamou species, larger than the “chiriri”, and at least two felt that three different “clases” were involved, suggesting that C. saltuarius may be present. However, none of them were able to provide us with a convincing vocalisation description, or with a plumage description detailed enough to exclude either male C. soui or Tinamus major. This lack of information from active and expert hunters strongly suggests that C. saltuarius may be absent from the lowlands adjacent to Serranía de los Yariguíes or that if it is present, it is very rare.

4. Limitations on interview data and the need for additional data

The region from where most of the reliable recent reports of C. saltuarius originate is the western slope of the Eastern Cordillera in or near Catatumbo National Park. In interviews from settlements in the region of Convención, San Calixto and Teorama and above Pailitas in Dptos. Cesar and Norte de Santander were not possible due to the security situation but would make our assessment of the status of the Magdalena Tinamou more complete. Additional fieldwork in the best quality lowland habitat in the Magdalena Medio - in the San Vicente de Chucurí region - may also shed light on the species’ status.

The security situation in the lowlands of Serranía de San Lucas is also extremely complicated (Salaman and Donegan in press). The highlands were recently subject to bird surveys (Salaman et al in press), but further interviews and fieldwork in foothill forest (200 - 1000 m) are urgently needed.

5. Fieldwork data

We sound-recorded C. soui at Agua de la Virgen and Montebello, Cerro de la Paz, but did not encounter C. saltuarius at any of our study sites.

23 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González Fundación ProAves

13. CONSERVATION STATUS OF Crypturellus saltuarius

Is Crypturellus saltuarius Extinct?

Our interviews present good evidence that C. saltuarius was still extant in the 1970s and 1980s in the foothills of the Eastern Cordillera, with one individual in captivity until the early 1990s. Although very few sightings were reported by local people, including none for at least 10 years, the lack of recent information does not mean that C. saltuarius is now extinct. There are two main reasons for the general lack of good information from local people in south Cesar. Firstly, deforestation in the Cesar region has been so severe and long-established that the forest avifauna (including Tinamidae) has long been expatriated. Secondly, almost no-one in the towns in which we were able to conduct interviews hunts any more. People are deterred from hunting due to (a) the distance of remaining forest patches, (b) a fear of encountering guerrilla groups and (c) prohibitions on the carriage of weapons by both guerrilla and paramilitaries. These factors together mean that the best information relating to the species was obtained from older hunters, who plied their trade when more forest existed and before the paramilitary conflict developed in the region in the early 1990s.

The Magdalena Tinamou is locally extinct in Below: ongoing deforestation in Santander. the immediate region of the type locality and the lowland region of the Magdalena Valley from San Martin to Pelaya. However, based on forest cover maps and our talks, we consider it probable that the species is still extant in the few remaining foothill forest patches on the western slope of the Eastern Cordillera, and possibly also in Serranía de las Quinchas, Cerro de la Paz and probably on the eastern slope of Serranía de San Lucas.

Unfortunately, the security situation in several of these regions limits possibilities for fieldwork and remaining forests continue to be subject to high levels of deforestation for coca farming, gold mining and subsistence agriculture (see further Salaman and Donegan in press).

BirdLife International (2000) estimated C. saltuarius’ population to be 50 and decreasing. Based on the little data that exists, this would seem a good a valuation as any. The population would be more amenable to precise determination if and when populations are found and studied.

24 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

Above and right: typical deforested habitat in the foothills of the Cordillera Oriental near Aguachica, Cesar.

25 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

Threats

Deforestation is the greatest threat to C. saltuarius, both presently and historically. Other members of the C. erythropus superspecies do not require a great deal of forest, nor high-quality forest, to subsist (see e.g. Hilty and Brown 1986; Davies 2002). However, in the region of the type locality (as in many other parts of Colombia), ‘development’ has taken place and continues to take place with little consideration of biodiversity conservation. Where settlements approach forested areas, virtually not a single tree is left standing. Not even Bromelia pinguin, a species of secondary areas associated with Crypturellus species (Davies, 2002), was encountered in south Cesar. The nature of human settlement in this region, which results in such complete and unsustainable habitat destruction, is such that the Magdalena Tinamou will probably only rarely be found in disturbed or secondary areas, and most likely subsists almost exclusively in undisturbed forest patches - which are rare.

If the species is found further south, in the Cerro de la Paz or the foothills of Serranía de los Yariguíes, the greatest threats for the species include illegal deforestation for coca farming (see further Alvarez, 2002) and fine woods. Hunting in the San Vicente de Chucurí region is also prevalent and may present a threat to the species, though large numbers of other terrestrial bird species (e.g. Odontophorus strophium; Aburria aburri) were found where suitable habitat exists.

Although hunting may have been a historic threat to the Magdalena Tinamou, it is currently only a very minimal threat in the region of the type locality because of unofficial hunting prohibitions (see above). Such bans can be extremely effective (see e.g. Donegan et al. 2001). In the Cerro de la Paz and Serranía de los Yariguíes, hunting is a more important threat.

Habitat

Collar et al (1992) (quoting Paynter and Traylor 1981) suggest that C. saltuarius’ habitat is “dry deciduous forest and savannahs”. Deforestation has undoubtedly led to increasingly dry conditions in the Magdalena Valley, but references to the species’ habitat as “savannah” refer to deforested farmland habitat where the species is not present. Information from our interviews confirm the habitat of C. saltuarius to be foothill forest of the western slope of the Eastern Cordillera. Our interviews and the Expedición Botánica skin suggest strongly that it also inhabits foothill forest on the eastern slope of Central Andes including Serranía de San Lucas. Information from our talks with interviewees, fairly regular rainfall during fieldwork, cloud coverage on satellite maps and the nature of the forest in patches which we studied suggest that the ‘dry’ or ’arid’ nature of the habitat of the region is perhaps somewhat overstated in the literature.

Conservation priorities

1. Conducting ornithological surveys and further interviews in the following regions: (i) San Calixto / Convención region and foothill elevations on the western slope of the East Andes above Pailitas and Pelaya in or near Catatumbo National Park; (ii) the eastern foothills of Serranía de San Lucas; (iii) between Pailitas and La Jagua de Ibirico (to determine the status of the species in Serranía de los Motillones and southern Serranía de Perijá).

2. Recording and analysing vocalisations of C. columbianus and C. idoneus, which apparently have not been sound-recorded and are also subject to high threat levels, and genetic studies to help determine the taxonomic status of C. saltuarius and other closely related taxa; and

3. To take effective practical conservation action, where C. saltuarius populations are found.

We are already planning a return to Serranía de los Yariguíes and the Cuchilla de la Paz to study further lowland sites where good quality habitat persists.

26 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

14. GENERAL ORNITHOLOGICAL SURVEYS

Introduction

Colombia is of unparalleled ornithological importance. It supports the world's greatest diversity of birds, with about 1,865 species, representing 19% of the World's species in less that 0.8% of the world's land surface (Salaman et al. 2001). Surveying and documenting the poorly known avifauna of the tropics in areas such as Colombia can play an important role in assisting biological conservation. Conservation of tropical birds and their habitats requires an in-depth knowledge of species' ecology; for example their ability to survive habitat alteration, their specific habitat requirements, and variations in abundance due to changing environmental conditions. As almost no distributional information exists from several of our study regions, conservation efforts in these regions are significantly undermined due to a lack of biological justification.

Above: Basileuterus tristriauts subsp. nov and Dendocolaptes picumnus, both in Serranía de los Yariguíes.

Before our work, research on the distribution and abundance of birds in certain parts of our study area was considered vital and urgent, particularly around Ayacucho (Collar et al. 1992) and Serranía de los Yariguíes (Renjifo et al 2002). Birds are excellent preliminary indicators for biological conservation, because avian taxonomy and geographical distribution has already been well documented, compared to other groups in the region, and is capable of determination in the field.

Results

We recorded a total of 332 bird species during our fieldwork in the Magdalena Medio using observation, tape recordings and mist-netting. 484 mist-net captures were made of 108 species. The complete inventory and mist-net capture breakdown are provided in Appendix I.

For many species, a great deal of information about ecology and range distribution, biometrics and plumage variations, was collected, and has been presented or is being produced for scientific publication (e.g. Donegan et al. in prep; Donegan and Huertas 2002). Various species were sound- recorded, and several previously unknown vocalisations were recorded. Range extensions and noteworthy records are being published elsewhere but include:

• an important new locality for a Critically Endangered species, Gorgeted Wood-Quail Odontophorus strophium in Serranía de los Yariguíes.

• new localities for three Endangered species: Saffron-headed Parrot Pionopsitta pyrilia, Black Inca Coeligena prunellei and Antioquia Bristle-Tyrant Phylloscartes lanyoni.

27 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González Fundación ProAves

• a new species for Colombia: Barbary Dove Streptopelia risoria (right).

• first photographic confirmation of White-tipped Swift Aeronautes montivagus for Colombia;

• the first records of 7 species for the Magdalena Valley of Colombia;

• Significant range extensions recorded for over 60 other bird species

Numerous small range extensions, new departmental records and elevational range extensions were also noted. Our new distributional data presents a significant re-evaluation of Colombian bird distributions in the region.

Threatened species recorded during fieldwork

The following species are classified as Threatened or Near-Threatened by BirdLife International (2000) or Renjifo et al. (2002). As these species are in danger of global or national extinction, it is of the utmost importance that where such species are found, information on ecology should be collected and distributed, and that suitable habitats are protected. The protection of Threatened species also helps protect the forests in which they live, their biological communities and other non-threatened species. A total of 12 endangered bird species (3 Critical, 3 Endangered, 0 Vulnerable, 2 nationally Threatened and 4 Near-Threatened species) were recorded in the study region.

Magdalena Tinamou Crypturellus saltuarius Status: Critical

Information is presented above.

Northern Screamer Chauna chavaria Status: Near-Threatened (Nationally Vulnerable)

This enormous bird species is endemic to aquatic regions of the northern lowlands of Colombia and Venezuela. A pair was present and seen daily at Cienaga Sahaya in south Cesar (data published in Salaman and Donegan in press). Interestingly, local people in the San Vicente de Chucurí region reliably reported the species at the mouth of the Río Chucurí. We were unable to confirm these reports. However, if confirmed, this would present a small but interesting easterly range extension and new locality for the species.

C. chavaria appears to be considerably rarer in south Cesar than in geographically close aquatic habitats on the western side of the Río Magdalena in southern Bolivar (see Salaman and Donegan in press). The species’ lower levels of abundance in south Cesar may well be related to the lower quality of forest growth adjacent to aquatic habitats in the region. Salaman and Donegan found that individuals in south Bolivar were most commonly seen in treetops, which are used for nesting and as a vantage point for calling. The relative sparseness of forest growth adjacent to Cienagas in south Cesar may be why the species is less common there. Based on our talks with local people, unofficial local hunting prohibitions, enforced by paramilitaries seem to be directly and effectively preventing the last surviving pair of C. chavaria in Cienaga Sahaya from being hunted by local people.

28 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

Wattled Guan Aburria aburri Status: Near-Threatened

Wattled Guan is regarded as a Very High Conservation Priority by the Cracid Specialist Group (Brooks and Strahl 2000) and as Near-Threatened (BirdLife International 2000), due to high levels of hunting and deforestation in its range (e.g. c. 95% deforestation of the Colombian Central Andes (Carrizosa 1990)). It is described by hunters as extremely rare in most areas (Brooks and Strahl 2000). We sound-recorded this species at El Talisman, where at least 3 males were audible from our campsite at dawn. A. aburri was also present in the Cerro de la Paz at 1000 m, an unusually low elevation for the species, though only one male was heard calling along our transect there. We were surprised to find A. aburri so common in the region, given that it appears to be widely persecuted by recreational hunting. However, it was notably not as common here as in the Serranía de San Lucas where hunting bans are more rigorously enforced (see Donegan et al. 2001).

Northern Helmeted Curassow Pauxi pauxi Status: Nationally Vulnerable

Pauxi pauxi was reported as present by many local people in San Vicente from the Cerro de la Paz region. We did not confirm these reports, but the number of independent reports in interviews (over 30 different people) and the strength of the descriptions were noteworthy. This species has previously been reported from the San Vicente region (J. I. Hernández-C in litt in Franco-Maya & Alvarez 2002).

Blue-billed Curassow Crax alberti Status: Critical

This is another of Colombia’s rarest endemic species, known now only from a handful of sites in Colombia’s northern lowlands. Its global population stronghold is considered to be the lowlands south and west of the Serranía de San Lucas (Cuervo, 2002a). We made no observations of the species. However, perhaps 40 people in south Cesar reliably and independently identified the Paujíl as present in the western foothills of the Eastern Cordillera. Many of these people drew specific attention to the species’ blue bare parts. This data confirms suspicions by Stiles et al (1999) that C. alberti ranges further east than was previously thought. This species was also reported as present in the Cerro de la Paz, though further west of our study area in the region of La Putana.

Gorgeted Wood-Quail Odontophorus strophium Status: Critical

This terrestrial forest species is one of the rarest birds in the world. Small populations have been observed from just two localities in recent years: Reserva Biológica Cachalú and Alto Río Fonce in Dpto Santander. Over 90% of its historical range has been deforested (Sorria & Alvarez 2002). A skin was taken in oak forest near Betulia, Santander, in 1972 (King 1979) and was considered possibly to be of this species (Hilty and Brown 1986). Betulia is less than 20 km from our study site at El Talisman. The global conservation priority for O. strophium was considered to be fieldwork in Serranía de los Yariguíes to establish its status there (BirdLife International 2000; Hernandez- Camacho in litt. in Sorria & Alvarez 2002).

We heard this species daily at El Talisman and made sound recordings. Here, at least two calling groups were present. The call is similar in structure and tone to that of other Odontophorus, but the refrain consists of a repeated series of 3 notes (“ti-ti-oo”), the first two notes being higher than the last. This three-note refrain is repeated many times in each burst of call: “ti-ti-oo- ti-ti-oo- ti-ti-oo- ti-ti-oo- ti- ti-oo- ti-ti-oo- ti-ti-oo- ti-ti-oo- ti-ti-oo-“ etc. The species appeared always to be vocalising from below the transect at lower elevations (mostly at 1800 - 1900 m), but was clearly audible along our transect at 2000 m. We heard the species down to c.1700 m elevation at the lowest elevations of Serranía de los Yariguíes in suitable forest, some of which appeared to be old secondary forest. At Cerro de la Paz (1000 m), the species was replaced by Marbled Wood-Quail O. gujanensis, which we identified by its four-note “cor-co-va-do” refrain. O. strophium vocalised most commonly at around 06:30 - 07:30 hrs, and was heard daily. We estimated that at least 4 groups were audible from the Camino de Lenguerke between 1600 and 2000 m elevation.

29 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González Fundación ProAves

The presence of populations of O. strophium in the Serranía de los Yariguíes makes the site of critical importance for conservation as its global population stronghold. Conservation efforts must be targeted in the premontane elevations of Serranía de los Yariguíes to protect this and other threatened species. ProAves and EBA Project are working together with the Corporación Autónoma Regional de Santander (CAS) and the Alcaldía of San Vicente de Chucurí towards further protective measures in this region. The forest habitats of O. strophium in the vicinity of the Camino de Lenguerke are currently relatively well-protected and subject to low deforestation pressure. The region around El Talisman, for example, is subject to a plan of land purchase and reforestation led by the Alcaldía. Worryingly, since the opening of the Camino de Lenguerke, recreational hunting, which according to hunters directly targets O. strophium, has become a popular past-time. A species- specific conservation programme for O. strophium needs to be developed and implemented in the San Vicente region, which should concentrate on poster campaigns to secure the support of local hunting groups not to target this species, or other globally threatened species such as Crax alberti and Aburria aburri. The highlands of the Serranía de los Yariguíes deserve national park status, another objective which we, together with Proaves, are pursuing.

Saffron-headed Parrot Pionopsitta pyrilia Status: Endangered

This distinctive parrot is known from lowland and foothill humid forest in Panama, Colombia and Venezuela. Due to deforestation, it now occupies a much-reduced range. P. pyrilia was common in the Cerro de la Paz, where several groups were observed feeding in the canopy and sound recordings were made. This parrot is known only from a handful of sites, thus a new locality is of great importance. Its high abundance at Cerro de la Paz in good quality lowland forest is interesting when considered alongside data by Salaman and Donegan (in press) who note a possible correlation between habitat quality (maturity and level of disturbance of forest) and abundance for this species.

Black Inca Coeligena prunellei

Status: Endangered

This hummingbird is endemic to the western slope of Colombia’s eastern Cordillera, known currently from only a handful of localities (BirdLife International 2000; Renjifo et al. 2002). This was one of the most common species at El Talisman - we caught 16 individuals with one retrapped, and photographed several individuals.

These records present an important c. 60 km northwards range extension for the species, as well as an important new and strong population. BirdLife International (2000) suggest that the species’ population is just 1000-2400. We consider that, were the abundance of the species to be similar in forested regions of suitable elevation across the western slope of the Serranía de los Yariguíes, that its population in Serranía alone would exceed the higher of these figures. C. prunellei was frequently observed feeding on the plants of the genera Cavendishia (Ericaceae) and Psitacanthus (Loranthaceae).

Habitat protection in the Serranía de los Yariguíes (see Odontophorus strophium above) is of enormous importance for the protection of this species.

30 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González

Beautiful Woodpecker Melanerpes chrysauchen pulcher Status: Nationally Vulnerable

This Woodpecker is endemic to Colombia’s northern lowlands. In the Magdalena Valley, its range extends south to San Vicente de Chucurí (J. I. Hernández pers. comm. in Cuervo, 2002b). A pair of this species was observed in the Cerro de la Paz. They were observed feeding on the trunk of a large dead tree in a small forest clearing. During observations here and in Serranía de San Lucas, this species has always been present on dead trees. It seems to prefer forest border habitat and mature secondary growth where such trees are more prevalent.

Grey-throated Warbler Basileuterus cinereicollis Status: Near-Threatened

This species is regarded as Near-Threatened by BirdLife International (2000) and almost nothing is known of its ecology (Hilty and Brown 1986), thus new records are of great interest. This was one of the most common species at Agua de la Virgen, where 5 were captured and numerous observations were made. The species commonly participated in mixed-species flocks, almost always in close association with Moustached Brush-Finch Atlapetes albofrenatus, and also frequently with Chestnut- capped Brush-Finch Buarremnon brunneinucha, Golden-crowned Warbler Basileuterus culicivorus indignus and migrant warblers. Observations were made at 1700 - 1850 m elevation, mostly within forest but also in forest border habitat. Two of the species’ calls, previously unreported, were noted and sound-recorded, one a high pitched “tsip”, the other a quite harsh nasal “tnur”. Interestingly, one of the individuals mist-netted showed a red / chestnut crown stripe, not a yellow one, and a stronger white eye ring. We will be undertaking a comparison of our photographs against museum skins to investigate whether this feature is due to a mutation, colour morph, or the existence of two taxa.

Left: typical Basileuterus cinereicollis. Right: individual showing reddish crown stripe and stronger eye ring.

Scarlet-rumped Cacique Cacicus uropygialis Status: Nationally Near-Threatened

The montane and lowland forms of this icterid have recently been split (see Jaramillo & Burke 1999). The montane form, C. uropygialis, is poorly-known in Colombia. We heard and observed flocks of up to 15 individuals of this species at El Talisman. The most common vocalisation was a disyllabic whistle. This species was previously unknown north of Dpto. Cundinamarca on the western slope of the East Andes. New records represent a c. 200 km northwards range extension, suggesting that the species may be more widely distributed than is currently thought.

31 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

Sooty Ant-Tanager Habia gutturalis

Status: Near-Threatened

H. gutturalis is an endemic of the Nechí Endemic Bird Area of northern Colombia. It was common by voice and seen frequently in the understorey in Cerro de la Paz, where 7 were captured (with one retrap). We concur with Salaman and Donegan (in press) and Stiles et al. (1999) in noting that this species

was common in disturbed as well as primary forest.

Large-billed Seed-finch Oryzoborus crassirostris

Status: Near-Threatened (Low risk nationally)

O. crassirostris is patchily distributed across north and east Colombia and throughout northwestern South America from the Guianas to Peru. We found several individuals in captivity in south Cesar, and photographed one in El Besote, north of Aguachica. We concur with Stiles et al (1999) and Salaman and Donegan (in press) that this species should be downgraded from Near-Threatened status, due its preference for disturbed and secondary growth areas and its large range, which suggest a substantial population in Colombia.

32 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González

15. ENTOMOLOGICAL AND ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS

Due to its frugivorous, granivorous and insectivorous habits (Mantilla & Díaz 1992, Davies, 2002) the Magdalena Tinamou may be a species of fundamental importance to the ecosystem, as its feeding habits are directly related to seed dispersion. The conservation of species of this type is therefore of great importance to maintaining ecological processes on which other species depend (see e.g. Morrinson 1986; Block et al. 1987; Landres et al.1988; and Poiani et al. 2000).

Seed distribution is linked to the diversity of frugivorous and insectivorous birds, and the diversity and density of vegetation is linked to the existence of ecological niches for birds (Greenwood, 1995). Seed distribution by Crypturellus saltuarius probably directly contributes to the complexity of the species’ habitat and to maintenance of processes which maintain that habitat.

Tinamous and insects have an important relationship in that insects form an important food resource for Tinamidae: Lepidoptera larvae and Coleoptera, for example, have been found in the stomach contents of Crypturellus erythropus (Freedman & Smith 1955). Insects also play an important role as pollinators (Kerr 2001, Cane & Tepedino 2001), as secondary dispersers of seeds (Janzen 1982, Estrada & Coates-Estrada 1991, Primack 1993), as recyclers of nutrients and as agents which reduce populations of parasites (Kempler & Boulton 1976), characters which all influence the production of food resources such as fruits and seeds, upon which the Magdalena Tinamou depends, assuming it to have similar feeding habits to Crypturellus erythropus.

A loss of pollinating invertebrates can interrupt the integrity of ecosystems, a situation which is reflected in a decrease of fruits and seeds, which in turn affects other trophic guilds which depend upon these resources (Crane & Tepedino 2001). The loss of a species such as the Magdalena Tinamou, which plays such an important ecological role, would therefore have profound effects on the ecosystem of a region as a whole. It is therefore important to study groups such as insects, with which this species may interact.

Methods

1. Lepidoptera

Butterflies (Lepidoptera) were collected at each site with an entomological net. Canopy nets were placed at study sites for additional collection to supplement the inventory.

Photos: canopy nets (left) and manual collection (right)

Lepidoptera specimens were kept in Milan paper envelopes, with basic data taken relating to each collection and notes on the organism’s habitats. Later, specimens were mounted on pins, extended and labelled. Taxonomic determinations are currently being made at the reference collection of the Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales and using keys and illustrations found in the most recent taxonomic revisions of the various groups, such as diagnoses by D'Abrera (1981, 1984, 1987a, 1987b, 1988), De Vries (1987, 1996), Smart (1991), Constantino (1995), Vélez & Salazar (1991), Krizek (1991), Austin (1992), Willmott & Hall (1994, 1996), Andrade (1993a), Austin et al. (1996), Hall & Willmott (1996), Hall & Austin (1997) and Beccaloni (1997). Specialists including Julián Salazar (Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Colombia) and Keith Willmott (Natural History Museum, UK) are assisting in the identification of some specimens.

33 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou

2. Scarabaeinae

The Scarabaeinae collection was undertaken using pitfall traps baited with human excrement, and was supplemented with manual capture. 15 pitfall traps were installed at ground level at 25 m intervals at each of the four study sites. Following the methodology of Southwood (1966), these were baited with human excrement every 48 hours and checked every 12 hours. Additionally, manual collection was used to encounter individuals sheltered in vegetation and decomposing organic material. The specimens collected were separated and kept in marked plastic flasks with 70% alcohol. They are currently being mounted and will later be deposited and identified in the reference collection of the Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales. Determination will be undertaken with the use of keys and illustrations in revisions of various taxonomic groups, such as the diagnoses of Blackwelder (1944); Edmonds (1972, 1994); Halffter & Martínez (1977); Howden & Young (1981); Arnaud (1982); and Jessop (1985).

Results

A preliminary list of 150 morphospecies of the Diurnal Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) were collected in the region of Serranía de los Yariguíes and Cerro de la Paz (Santander). 75 morphospecies were collected in the region of Ayacucho and Ocaña (Cesar and Norte de Santander), the region where the Magdalena Tinamou was historically reported. There is some overlap between the butterfly species found in these two regions. Both of these species totals relate to a relatively high diversity of pollinating insects, with the species total in Serranía de los Yariguíes and Cerro de la Paz being extraordinarily high for such a short study. The Rhopalocera are a group considered a good indicator of the state of conservation of ecosystems, diversity, endemism and level of intervention of habitat (Coddington et al. 1991; Brown 1991; Pearson 1994; Gardiner 1997). Through pollinating, butterflies encourage the production of fruits and seeds (Inouye, 1995), the principal food resources of the Magdalena Tinamou. The highest diversity of Rhopalocera in the study region is in the Serranía de los Yariguíes and Cerro de la Paz, where the best quality forest habitat was encountered.

A more detailed analysis in these groups will need some time to complete and will be published elsewhere.

The scarab beetle collection is still undergoing investigation and identification.

34 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González

16. REFERENCES

Álvarez MD (2002) Illicit crops and bird conservation priorities in Colombia. Conservation Boiology 16. Andrade GI (1993) Biodiversidad y Conservación en Colombia. p. 25-42. En: Cerec y Fundación Alejandro Ángel Escobar (Eds.) Nuestra diversidad biológica. 297 pp. Arnaud P (1982). Description de Deux nouvelles especes de Phanaeini (Col. Scarabaeidae). Miscellamnea entomologica 49: 121-124. Austin GT (1992) New and additional records of costa rican Butterflies. Tropical Lepidoptera 3: 25-33. Austin GT, Hadad N, Méndez C, Sisk T, Murphy D, Launer A, & Ehrlich P (1996) Annotated checklist of the Butterflies of the Tikal National Park area of Guatemala. Tropical Lepidoptera 7: 21-37. Beccaloni G. (1997) Ecology, natural History and Behaviour of the Ithomiinae Butterflies and their mimics in Ecuador. Tropical Lepidoptera 8: 103-124. BirdLife International (2000) Threatened Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Blackwelder RE (1944). Check list of the coleopterus of Mexico, Central America, the west Indies and south America. Smithsonian institution. Washington, 1944. Block WM, Brennan LA & Gutierrez RJ (1987) Evaluation of guild indicator species for use in resource management. Environmental Management 11: 265-269. Brooks, DM & Strahl SD (2000). Curassows, Guans and Chachalacas: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN, UK. Cane JH & Tepedino VJ (2001) Causes and extent of declines among native north American invertebrate pollinators: detection, evidence and consequences. Conservation Ecology 5(1): 1-4. Carrizosa UJ (1990) La selva andina. Pp 151-184. In: U. J. Carrizosa & J. Hernández-Camacho (eds.). Selva y futuro. Bogotá: Ed. El Sello. Collar NJ, Gonzaga LP, Krabbe N, Madroño-Nieto A, Naranjo LG, Parker III TA & Wege DC (1992) Threatened birds of the Americas: The ICBP/IUCN Red Data Book. Third edition (part 2). Cambridge U.K.: ICBP. Constantino LM (1995) Revisión de la tribu Haeterini Herrich-Schaffer, 1864 en Colombia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalinae: Satyrinae) SHILAP Revta. Lepid. (Madrid) 23(89):49-76. Cuervo AM (2002a) Crax alberti. In Renjifo L. M., Franco-Maya A. M., Amaya-Espinel J. D., Kattan G.H. & López-Lanus B (eds.) (2002) Libro rojo de aves de Colombia. Serie Libros Rojos de Especies Amenazadas de Colombia. Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt & Ministerio de Medio Ambiente. Bogotá, Colombia, 2002. Cuervo AM (2002b) Melanerpes chrysauchen. In Renjifo L. M., Franco-Maya A. M., Amaya-Espinel J. D., Kattan G.H. & López-Lanus B (eds.) (2002) Libro rojo de aves de Colombia. Serie Libros Rojos de Especies Amenazadas de Colombia. Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt & Ministerio de Medio Ambiente. Bogotá, Colombia, 2002. Dávalos LM (2001) The San Lucas Mountain Range in Colombia: how much conservation is owed to the violence? Biodiversity and Conservation 10:69-78, 2001 Davies SJJF (2002) Ratites and Tinamous. Oxford University Press, 2002. D'Abrera B. (1981) Butterflies of the Neotropical Region. Part I: Papilionidae & Pieridae. Lansdowne Editions. D' Abrera B (1984) Butterflies of the Neotropical Region Part II: Danaidae, Ithomiidae, Heliconiidae y Morphidae. Hill House Publishers (Victoria) Australia. 381 pp. D' Abrera B (1987a) Butterflies of the Neotropical Region Part III: Brassolidae, Acraeidae y Nymphalidae (partim) Hill House. 524 pp. D' Abrera B (1987b) Butterflies of the Neotropical Region Part IV: Nymphalidae (Partim). Hill House. 675 pp. D'Abrera B (1988) Butterflies of the Neotropical Region. Part V. Nymphalidae (Cont.) & Satyridae. Hill House Publichers Victoria, Australia. De Vries P (1987) The Butterflies of Costa Rica and their Natural History. Papilionidae, Pieridae, Nymphalidae. Princenton University Press. De Vries P (1996) The Butterflies of Costa Rica and their Natural History. Riodininae. Princeton University Press. 227 pp. Donegan TM & Dávalos LM (1999) Ornithological observations from Reserva Natural Tambito, Cauca, south-west Colombia. Cotinga 12 (1999) 48 - 55. Donegan TM & Huertas BC (2002) Registro de una pareja de la Tórtola de Collar Streptopelia risoria en estado salvaje, en el departamento de Norte de Santander, Colombia. Boletin Sociedad Antioqueña de Ornitología, 2002. Donegan TM, Huertas BC & Briceño ER (in press) Status of the Magdalena Tinamou Crypturellus saltuarius in the type locality and surrounding lower Magdalena Valley. Cotinga. Accepted. Donegan TM, Huertas BC & Briceño ER (in prep) Range extensions and ecological notes on the birds of the lower Magdalena Valley of northern Colombia. Donegan TM, Salaman PGW & Cuervo AM (2001) Wattled Guan Aburria aburri in Serranía de San Lucas, northern Colombia.; Bol CSG 13 (September 2001): 11-14. Edmonds W (1972) Comparative skeletal morphology, systematic and evolution of the Phanaeinae Dung Beetles (Coleoptera- Scarabaeidae) Science Bulletin. Vol. 49: 731-874. Edmonds W (1994) Revision of Phanaeus MacKleay a New World Genus of Scarabaeinae Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeidae). Contribution in Science. Natural History Museum of the los Angeles Country. Num. 443 pp. 1-105. Franco-Maya AM & Alvarez M (2002) Pauxi pauxi. In Renjifo L. M., Franco-Maya A. M., Amaya-Espinel J. D., Kattan G.H. & López-Lanus B (eds.) (2002) Libro rojo de aves de Colombia. Serie Libros Rojos de Especies Amenazadas de Colombia. Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt & Ministerio de Medio Ambiente. Bogotá, Colombia, 2002. Friedman H & Smith FD (1955) Venezuelan Ornithology. Proc. US Nat. Mus. 104: 475-9. Graves GR (1988) Phylloscartes lanyoni, new species of bristle-tyrant (Tyrannidae) from the lower Cauca Valley of Colombia. Wilson Bull. 100(4): 529-534.

35 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou

Graves GR (1997) Colorimetric and morphometric gradients in Colombia populations of Dusky Antbird (Cercomacra tyrannina), with a description of a new species Cercomacra parkeri. pp. 21-36 in J.V. Remsen Jr., ed. Studies in Neotropical Ornithology Honoring Ted Parker. Ornit. Monographs No. 48. A.O.U., Lawrence, USA. Greenwood JJ (1995) Birds. In: Wilson, E.O. 2001 Encyclopedia of Biodiversity. Academic San Diego. California. Vols. 1-4. Halffter G & Martinez A (1977) Revision monogràfica de los canthonina americanos. IV Parte Clave para los gèneros y subgéneros. Folia entomologica Mexicana. 38: 29-107. Hall J & Austin G (1997) Riodininae of Rondonia, Brazil: A new species of Theope (Lepidoptera: Riodininae). Tropical Lepidoptera 8: 101-102. Hall J & Willmott K (1996) Notes on the genus Argyrogrammana, Part 2, with one new species. (Lepidoptera: Riodininae). Tropical Lepidoptera 7(1): 71-80. Hilty SL & Brown WL (1986) A Guide to the Birds of Colombia Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Howden MF & Young OP (1981) Panamanian Scarabaeinae: Taxonomy, Distribution and Habitats (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) Contr. Amer. Entomol. Ins. 18: 1-204. Jessop L (1985) An identification guide to Euristernine Dung Beetles (Coleoptera . Scarabaeidae). J. Nat. Hist. 19; 1087-1111. Kerr JT (2001) Butterfly species richness patterns in Canada: energy, heterogeneity, and potential consequences of climate change. Conservation Ecology 5(1):1-10. King WB (ed.) (1979) Endangered Birds of the World. ICBP Bird Red Data Book. Washington DC, USA: Smithsonian Institute Press. Krizek G (1991) Neotropical Nymphalidae in photography. Part 1. Tropical Lepidoptera 2: 85-102. Landres PB, Veaner J & Thomas JW (1988) Ecological uses of vertebrate indicator species: a critique. Conservation Biology 2: 316-328. Mantilla R LC & Díaz PS (1992) Fray Diego García, su vida y su obra científica en la Expedición Botánica. Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Naturales Físicas y Naturales Colección Enrique Pérez-Arbeláez 7 at 242-243. Morrison M L (1986) Birds as indicators of environmental change. Current ornithology. (3): 429-451 Nouye DW (1995) Role of Pollinators. In: Wilson, E.O. 2001 Encyclopedia of Biodiversity. Academic San Diego. California. Vols. 1-4. Paynter RA & Traylor MA (1981) Ornithological Gazetteer of Colombia. Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, USA. Polani KB, Richter M, Anderson YH & Richter (2000) Biodiversity conservation at multiple scales: functional sites, landscapes and networks. Bioscience. 50(2): 133-146. Renjifo L M, Franco-Maya AM, Amaya-Espinel JD, Kattan GH & López-Lanus B (eds.) (2002) Libro rojo de aves de Colombia. Serie Libros Rojos de Especies Amenazadas de Colombia. Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt & Ministerio de Medio Ambiente. Bogotá, Colombia, 2002. Rodriguez JF (1980) Nuestra senora de las gracias de Torcoroma. Ocaña, Colombia, 1980. Salaman PGW ed. (1994) Surveys and conservation of biodiversity in the Chocó, south-west Colombia. Cambridge, U.K.: BirdLife International Study Report 61. Salaman P, Cuadros T, Jaramillo JG & Weber WH (2001) Checklist of the Birds of Colombia. Sociedad Antioqueña de Ornitología, Medellín, Colombia. Salaman P & Donegan TM (2001) Colombian EBA Project report No.3: Serranía de San Lucas. http://www.proaxis.com/~salaman/eba.html Salaman PGW & Donegan TM (in press) The status of threatened birds in Serranía de San Lucas, Colombia. Bird Conservation International Salaman PGW, Donegan TM & Cuervo AM (1999) Ornithological surveys in Serranía de los Churumbelos, southern Colombia. Cotinga 12: 29-39. Salaman P, Donegan TM & Cuervo AM (2002) New distributional bird records from Serranía de San Lucas and adjacent Central Cordillera of Colombia. Bull B.O.C. 122 (4): 285 - 303. Sibley CG & Monroe BL Jr. (1990) Distribution and taxonomy of the Birds of the World. Yale Univ Press. New Haven & London. Smart P (1991) The illustrated encyclopedia of the Butterfly World. Tiger Books International. London. Sarria M & Alvarez M (2002) Odontophorus strophium. In Renjifo L. M., Franco-Maya A. M., Amaya-Espinel J. D., Kattan G.H. & López-Lanus B (eds.) (2002) Libro rojo de aves de Colombia. Serie Libros Rojos de Especies Amenazadas de Colombia. Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt & Ministerio de Medio Ambiente. Bogotá, Colombia, 2002. Southwood TR (1966) Ecological methods with particular reference to the study of insects populations. Methuen. London. 391 pp. Souza DGS (1998) Todas as aves do Brasil. Feria de Santana: DALL, Brasil, 1998. Stattersfield AJ, Crosby MJ, Long AJ & Wege DC (1997) Endemic Bird Areas of the World: Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation. BirdLife Conservation Series. Cambridge, U.K.: BirdLife International. Stiles FG, Rosselli L & Bohórquez CI (1999) New and noteworthy records of birds from the middle Magdalena valley of Colombia. Bull B.O.C. 119: 113-128 Velez J & Salazar J (1991) Mariposas de Colombia. Villegas Editores, Bogotá. Wege DC & Long AJ (1995) Key Areas for threatened birds in the Neotropics. BirdLife Conservation Series No. 5. Cambridge, U.K.: BirdLife International. Willmott K & Hall J (1994) Four new species of riodinids from western Ecuador (Lepidoptera: Riodininae). Tropical Lepidoptera 5: 87-91. Willmott K & Hall J (1996) Notes on the genus Argyrogrammana, Part 2, with one new species. (Lepidoptera: Riodininae). Tropical Lepidoptera 7: 71-80. Wilson EO (1987) The little things that run the world (The importance and conservation of invertebrates) Conserv. Biol. 1: 344- 346. Wilson EO (1988) La Biodiversidad Amenazada. Investigación y Ciencia 158: 64-71.

36 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

APPENDICES Appendix I: Systematic inventory of birds Taxonomy, nomenclature and sequence largely follows Salaman et al. (2001). Please contact the authors for details.

Tapia & Agua de la Bird list for Tinamou Project 2002-2003 Cesar Virgen & Parque Secondary Cerro de Alto El Lowlands Highlands Miraflores Habitats La Paz Siberia Talisman 2002 2002 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 Species 100-300m 1500-1800m 760 m 500-1300m 1000m 1300-2000m 2000m TINAMOUS Tinamidae Little Tinamou Crypturellus soui U C Magdalena Tinamou Crypturellus saltuarius R R CORMORANTS Phalacrocoracidae Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus olivaceus C ANHINGAS Anhingidae Anhinga Anhinga anhinga U HERONS Ardeidae Cocoi Heron Ardea cocoi F Great Egret Ardea alba C U U Snowy Egret Egretta thula F U Little Blue Heron Florida caerula U Striated Heron Butorides striatus U F Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis C F Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax F STORKS Ciconiidae Wood Stork Mycteria americana U IBIS, SPOONBILLS Threskiornithidae Buff-necked Ibis Theristicus caudatus U Green Ibis Mesembrinibis cayennensis F Bare-faced Ibis Phimosus infuscatus F Roseate Spoonbill Ajaia ajaja U SCREAMERS Anhimidae Northern Screamer Chauna chavaria F R DUCKS Anatidae Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor U White-faced Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna viduata F Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna automnalis F Blue-winged Teal Anas discors R Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata R

37 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou EBA Report No. 4

VULTURES Cathartidae Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura C F F F F Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture Cathartes burrorianus U Black Vulture Coragyps atratus A A A A U F King Vulture Sarcoramphus papa R R OSPREY Pandionidae Osprey Pandion haliaetus C HAWKS, EAGLES, KITES Accipitridae Snail Kite Rostrhamus sociabilis C Plumbeous Kite Ictinia plumbea F Barred Hawk Leucopternis princeps C Great Black Hawk Buteogallus arubitinga F Savannah Hawk Heterospizias meridionalis F Black-collared Hawk Busarellus nigricollis F Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris U U U C F FALCONS, CARACARAS Falconidae Crested Caracara Caracara plancus F U U Yellow-headed Caracara Milvago chimachima C F Laughing Falcon Herpetotheres cachinnans F U Barred Forest-Falcon Micrastur ruficollis interstes F 1 F C Bat Falcon Falco rufigularis F CHACHALACAS, GUANS, CURASSOWS Cracidae Chestnut-winged Chachalaca Ortalis garrula C Colombian Chachalaca Ortalis columbiana RC U Crested Guan Penelope carulescens RC Wattled Guan Aburria aburri F C Sickle-winged Guan Chamaepetes goudotii U Northern Helmeted Curassow Pauxi pauxi R Blue-billed Curassow Crax alberti R R R WOOD-QUAILS, BOBWHITES Odontophidae Crested Bobwhite Colinus cristatus C R Marbled Wood-Quail Odontophorus gujanensis U Gorgeted Wood-Quail Odontophorus strophium C F LIMPKINS Aramidae Limpkin Aramus guarauna F RAILS, GALLINULES, COOTS Rallidae Grey-necked Wood-Rail Aramides cajanea R American Purple Gallinule Porphyrio martinica R JACANAS Jacanidae Wattled Jacana Jacana jacana C LAPWINGS, PLOVERS Charadriidae Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis C

38 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González Fundación Proaves

SANDPIPERS, SNIPES Scolopacidae Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria C THICK-KNEES Burhinidae Double-striped Thick-Knee Burhinus bistriatus F GULLS, TERNS Laridae Yellow-billed Tern Sterna superciliaris U PIGEONS, DOVES Columbidae Band-tailed Pigeon Columba fasciata C A Feral Pigeon Columba livia F A F Pale-vented Pigeon Columba cayennensis C F C Plumbeous Pigeon Columba plumbea U Eared Dove Zenaida auriculata F Barbary Dove Streptopelia risoria U Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina A C C C Ruddy Ground-Dove Columbina talpacoti C Scaled Dove Scardafella squammata F White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi C 2 F F F Ruddy Quail-Dove Geotrygon montana F 3 Lined Quail-Dove Geotrygon linearis U 1 C U 1 PARROTS Psittacidae Blue-and-yellow Macaw Ara ararauna U R Scarlet Macaw Ara macao R R Brown-throated Parakeet Aratinga pertinax C Spectacled Parakeet Forpus conspicillatus F F F Orange-chinned Parakeet Brotogeris jugularis F F F Saffron-headed Parrot Pionopsitta pyrilia C Blue-headed Parrot Pionus menstruus R U Yellow-crowned Parrot Amazona ochrocephala F CUCKOOS Cuculidae Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana U F Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani C F C C C Greater Ani Crotophada major C 3 Striped Cuckoo Tapera naevia U F F OWLS Strigidae Tropical Screech-Owl Otus choliba F Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus F C Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium brasilianum C Black-and-white Owl Strix nigrolineata U NIGHTJARS, NIGHTHAWKS Caprimulgidae Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor C Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis C C U

39 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou EBA Report No. 4

Lyre-tailed Nightjar Uropsalis lyra F SWIFTS Apodidae White-collared Swift Streptoprone zonaris U White-tipped Swift Aeronautes montivagus F C C C HUMMINGBIRDS Trochilidae Hairy Hermit Glaucis hirsuta U 1 Band-tailed Barbthroat Threnetes ruckeri F 3+1 Green Hermit Phaethornis guy C 3+1 A 52+13 Tawny-bellied Hermit Phaethornis syrmatophorus U 1 Western Long-tailed Hermit Phaethornis longirostris F 6+1 Stripe-throated Hermit Phaethornis (longuemareus) striigularis F U White-tipped Sicklebill Eutoxeres aquila F 6 U 1 Lazuline Sabrewing Campylopterus falcatus F White-necked Jacobin Florisuga mellivora U 1 Black-throated Mango Authracothorax nigricollis F F Red-billed Emerald Chlorostilbon gibsoni U Coppery Emerald Chlorostilbon russatus U 1 Purple-crowned Woodnymph Thalurania fannyi C 1 U 1 F 1 Shining-green Hummingbird Lepidapyga goudoti F 2 Blue-chested Hummingbird Polyerata amabilis U 2 Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia tzactl F F U White-vented Plumeteer Chalybura buffonii F 6+4 Speckled Hummingbird Adelomyia melanogenys C A 19+5 Green-fronted Brilliant Heliodoxa jacula F 11+5 U Black Inca Coeligena prunellei C C 16+1 Booted Racket-tail Ocreatus underwoodii F U 1 Long-tailed Sylph Aglaiocercus kingi U TROGONS Trogonidae Crested Quetzal Pharomachrus antisianus U Collared Trogon Trogon collaris U Masked Trogon Trogon personatus F KINGFISHERS Alcedinidae Ringed Kingfisher Ceryle torquata C JACAMARS Galbulidae Rufous-tailed Jacamar Galbula ruficauda U 1 R? PUFFBIRDS Bucconidae Russet-throated Puffbird Hypnelus ruficollis C Moustached Puffbird Malacoptila mysticalis U 1 U U 1 TOUCANS Ramphastidae Emerald Toucanet Aulacorhynchus prasinus RC F 2

40 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González Fundación Proaves

Crimson-rumped Toucanet Aulacorhynchus haematopygus U 1 Collared Aracari Pteroglossus torquatus C Chestnut-mandibled Toucan Ramphastos swainsonii C F U

WOODPECKERS Picidae Olivaceous Piculet Picumnus olivaceus F 1+1 U Spot-breasted Woodpecker Colaptes punctigula U Crimson-mantled Woodpecker Piculus rivolii U White-throated Woodpecker Piculus leucolaemus F Lineated Woodpecker Dryocopus lineatus C Red-crowned Woodpecker Melanerpes rubricapillus F C C Beautiful Woodpecker Melanerpes pulcher U Red-rumped Woodpecker Venilornis kirkii U Crimson-crested Woodpecker Campephilus melanoleucos C ? WOODCREEPERS Dendrocolaptidae Plain-brown Woodcreeper Dendrocincla fuliginosa F 2 Olivaceous Woodcreeper Sittasomus griseicaplillus F 1 Wedge-billed Woodcreeper Glyphorhynchus spirurus C 5+1 Northern Barred Woodcreeper Dendrocolaptes sanctithomae U 1 Black-banded Woodcreeper Dendrocolaptes picumnus U 1 Straight-billed Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus picus F C U Cocoa Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus susurannus nanus U 1 Streak-headed Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes souleyetii U Spot-crowned Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes affinis U 1 Brown-billed Scythebill Campylorhynchus pusillus U 1 FURNARIIDAE Pale-legged Hornero Furnaris leucopus F Azara'a Spinetail Synallaxis azarae C C 2 Pale-breasted Spinetail Synallaxis albescens C Stripe-breasted Spinetail Synallaxis cinnamonea C 1 Yellow-chinned Spinetail Certhiaxis cinnamonea F Rusty-winged Barbtail Premnornis guttuligera U 2 Spotted Barbtail Premnoplex brunescens U 1 Lineated Foliage-Gleaner Syndactila subularis F 4+2 Montane Foliage-Gleaner Anabacerthia striaticollis C 3 Plain Xenops Xenops minutus F 3

41 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou EBA Report No. 4

Tawny-throated Leafscraper Sclerurus mexicanus F 1 ANTBIRDS Thamnophilidae Black-crested Antshrike Sakesphorus canadensis F 2 Bar-crested Antshrike Thamnophilus multistriatus F Uniform Antshrike Thamnophilus unicolor F Western Slaty Antshrike Thamnophilus punctatus F Plain Antvireo Dysithamnus mentalis semicinereus U 2 F 6 Pacific Antwren Myrmotherula pacifica F Checker-throated Antwren Myrmotherula fulviventris U 1 White-flanked Antwren Myrmotherula axillaris U 2 Slaty Antwren Myrmotherula schisticolor F 3 White-fringed Antwren Formicovora grisea intermedia C 2+1 Long-tailed Antbird Drymophila caudata F 2 Rufous-rumped Antwren Terenura callinota F 2 Parker's Antbird Cercomacera parkeri U Dull-mantled Antbird Myrmeciza laemosticta U Boicoloured Antbird Gymnopithys bicolor U 1 ANTPITTAS Formicariidae Chestnut-crowned Antpitta Grallaria ruficapilla U White-bellied Antpitta Grallaria hypoleuca C C Spectacled Antpitta Hylopezus perspicillatus F 1 TAPACULOS Rhinocryptidae Tapaculo Scytalopus sp F A MANAKINS Pipridae Golden-headed Manakin Pipra erythrocephala U 1 Golden-winged Manakin Masius chrysopterus F 3 White-bibbed Manakin Corapipo leucorrhoa C 9+4 White-bearded Manakin Manacus manacus U U 1 COTINGAS Cotingidae Cinereous Becard Pachramphus rufus F Cinnamon Becard Pachyramphus cinnamoneus F Black-and-white Becard Pachyramphus albogriseus U One-coloured Becard Platypsaris homochrous U 1 Masked Tityra Tityra semifasciata F TYRANT-FLYCACTHERS Tyrannidae Golden-faced Tyrannulet Zimmerius viridiflavus A U Southern Beardless Tyrannulet Camptostoma obsoletum F 2 U Pale-tipped Tyrannulet Inezia subflava F 1 Streak-necked Flycatcher Mionectes striaticollis U 1 F F 4

42 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González Fundación Proaves

Ochre-bellied Flycatcher Mionectes oleagineus A 24+6 Slaty-capped Flycatcher Leptopogon superciliaris U 1 F 3 U 1 Rufous-breasted Flycatcher Leptopogon rufipectus F 1 Antioquia Bristle-Tyrant Phylloscartes lanyoni U Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant Lophotriccus pileatus F U Southern Bentbill Oncostoma olivaceum F 2 Common Tody-Flyacthcer Todirostrum cinereum F C F F Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher Todirostrum sylvia C 4 Brownish Twistwing Cnipodectes subbrunneus F Golden-crowned Spadebill Platyrinchus coronatus F 4+1 Ornate Flycatcher Myiotriccus ornatus F F 1 Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher Myiobius erythrurus U 3 Bran-coloured Flycatcher Myiophobus fasciatus U Cinnamon Flycatcher Pyrrhomyias cinnamonea C C Tropical Pewee Contopus cinereus U 1 F Acadian Flycatcher Empidonax virescens U 1 F F 3 Mouse-coloured Tyrannulet Phaeomyias murina C Vermillion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus C C Pied Water-Tyrant Fluvicola pica C White-headed Marsh-Tyrant Arundinicola leucocephala C Cattle Tyrant Macheternus rixosus C U Speckled Mourner Laniocera rufescens U 1 Eastern Sirystes Sirystyes sibilator U Great-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus F 2 Dusky-capped Flycatcher Myiachus tuberculifer C? F C? Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus C C C Boat-billed Flycatcher Megarhynchus pitangua U Rusty-margined Flycatcher Myiozetetes cayennensis F F Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis C 2 F Streaked Flycatcher Myiodynastes maculatus U Golden-crowned Flycatcher Myiodynastes chrysocephalus U Fork-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus savana C Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus A C A A U U

43 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou EBA Report No. 4

Grey Kingbird Tyrannus dominicensis U SWALLOWS, MARTINS Hirundinidae Brown-chested Martin Progne tapera U F F Grey-breasted Martin Progne chalybea F Blue-and-white Swallow Notiochelidon cyanoleuca C F C Southern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx ruficollis U U C Barn Swallow Hirunda rustica U JAYS Corvidae Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas C C WRENS Troglodytidae Bicoloured Wren Campylorhynchus griseus A F Stripe-backed Wren Campylorhynchus nuchalis F Sooty-headed Wren Thryotorus spadix C Whiskered Wren Thryotorus mysticallis C 4 Niceforo's/Rufous-and-white Wren Thryotorus rufalbus/nicefori ?F Buff-breasted Wren Thryothorus leucotis C House Wren Troglodytes aedon C F C U White-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucosticta F 5+1 Grey-breasted Wood-wren Henicorhina leucophrys C C C 2 Song Wren Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus U 3 MOCKINGBIRDS Mimidae Tropical Mockingbird Mimus gilvus F F U U THRUSHES, SOLITAIRES Turdidae Andean Solitaire Myadestes ralloides F F Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush Catharus aurantirostris C 1 Grey-cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus F 8+4 Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus C 1 U 3 U 1 Great Thrush Turdus fuscater F Black-hooded Thrush Turdus olivater C Chestnut-bellied Thrush Turdus fulviventris C Pale-breasted Thrush Turdus leucomelas F Black-billed Thrush Turdus ignobilis F U Glossy-black Thrush Turdus serranus U GNATWRENS etc Silviidae Tawny-faced Gnatwren Microbates cinereiventris U 1 VIREOS Vireonidae Rufous-browed Peppershrike Cyclarhis gujanensis F F Black-billed Peppershrike Cyclarhis nigrirostris U Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus U Rufous-naped Greenlet Hylophilus semibrunneus U U

44 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González Fundación Proaves

Yellow-browed Shrike-Vireo Vireolanius eximius F ICTERIDS Icteridae Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis C A C C Crested Oropendola Psarocolius decumanus R U F Russet-backed Oropendola Psarocolius angustifrons C C Black Oropendola Gymnostinops guatimozinus R Yellow-rumped Cacique Cacicus cela R Scarlet-rumped Cacique Cacicus uropygialis F Yellow Oriole Icterus nigrogularis C Yellow-tailed Oriole Icterus nigrogularis U Baltimore Oriole Icterus gabula R Yellow-hooded Blackbird Agelaius icterocephalus C Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna F AMERICAN WARBLERS Parulidae Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia F F F F Tenessee Warbler Vermivora peregrina U Northern Yellow Warbler Dendroica aestiva C 8 U C Chestnut-sided Warbler Dendroica pensylvanica F Blackburnian Warbler Denroica fusca C F C F Northern Waterthrush Seiurus motacilla U F Prothonotary Warbler Protonotaria citrea A 24+1 Mourning Warbler Opornis philadelphia U 1 Canada Warbler Wilsonia canadensis F F 2 C C 6 Slate-throated Whitestart Myioborus miniatus C C A 6+1 Golden-fronted Whitestart Myioborus ornatus U 1 Golden-crowned Warbler Basileuterus culicovorus indignus C 2 Russet-crowned Warbler Basileuterus coronatus F 3 Grey-throated Warbler Basileuterus cinereicollis C 5 Three-striped Warbler Basileuterus tristriatus subsp nov C C 9 HONEYCREEPERS Coerebidae Bananaquit Coereba flaveola C C F Masked Flower-Piercer Diglossa cyanea F 2 White-sided Flower-Piercer Diglossa albilatera F 3+1 Green Honeycreeper Chlorophanes spiza F TANAGERS Thraupidae Blue-naped Chlorophonia Chlorophonia pyrrhophrys F Orange-bellied Euphonia Euphonia xanthogaster U F F

45 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou EBA Report No. 4

Trinidad Euphonia Euphonia trinitatis F Thick-billed Euphonia Euphonia laniirostris F C U Speckled Tanager Tangara guttata C F Golden Tanager Tangara arthus A C F Saffron-crowned Tanager Tangara xanthocephala F Flame-faced Tanager Tangara parzidakii F Blue-necked Tanager Tangara cyanicollis C F Bay-headed Tanager Tangara gyrola A Beryl-spangled Tanager Tangara nigroviridis F F F 1 Black-capped Tanager Tangara heinei C F F Black-headed Tanager Tangara cyanoptera C Blue-winged Mountain-Tanager Anisognathus somptuosus F C Hooded Mountain-Tanager Buthraupis montana U Blue-grey Tanager Thraupis episcopus A F A C U U Palm Tanager Thraupis palmarum F U Blue-capped Tanager Thraupis cyanocephala C Crimson-backed Tanager Ramphocelus dimidiatus U C C U F F Yellow-rumped Tanager Ramphocelus icteronotus U U Summer Tanager Piranga rubra F F F U Sooty Ant-Tanager Habia gutturalis C 7+1 White-lined Tanager Tachyphonus rufus U Grey-headed Tanager Eucometis penicillata F 2 Common Bush-Tanager Chlorospingus ophthalmicus subsp. C 6 Ashy-throated Bush-Tanager Chlorospingus canigularis F Oleaginous Hemispingus Hemispingus frontalis F 3 FINCHES Fringillidae Ultramarine Grosbeak Cyanocompsa cyanoides F 2+1 Buff-throated Saltator Saltator maximus F F F Black-winged Saltator Saltator atripennis F Greyish Saltator Saltator coerulescens C 2 C Streaked Saltator Saltator albicollis F F Yellow-throated Brush-Finch Atlapetes gutturalis C 2 Moustached Brush-Finch Atlapetes albofrenatus C 2 Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch Buarremnon brunneinucha C 2 C 8

46 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González Fundación Proaves

Orange-billed Sparrow Arremnon aurantiirostris U 1 Yellow-faced Grassquit Tiaris olivacea U U 1 Dull-coloured Grassquit Tiaris obscura F F Large-billed Seedfinch Oryzoborus crassirostris RC Slate-coloured Seedeater Sporophila schistaceus RC Grey Seedeater Sporophila intermedia U 1 Lesson's Seedeater Sporophila bouvronides RC Black-and-white Seedeater Sporophila luctuosa U Yellow-bellied Seedeater Sporophila nigricollis RC F U U U Ruddy-breated Seedeater Sporophila minuta F Blue-black Grassquit Volatina jacarina C C U Saffron Finch Sicalis flaveola F F C Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis U C F Yellow-bellied Goldfinch Spinus xanthogaster C U F Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria RC U SPECIES TOTALS 141 75 49 (34) 92 (57) 97 (Note: total figures in brackets indicate a poorly saturated (non-intensively studied) site) Key: 2 2 individals caught at site 4+1 5 captures at site (4 different individuals, 1 re-trap) A Abundant (seen daily in large numbers) C Common (seen daily) F Fairly Common (seen approx in half of field days) U Uncommon (seen less than half of field days) R Reported by local people (not confirmed) RC Reported by local people and seen in captivity

47 Search for the Magdalena Tinamou Colombian EBA Project Report Series No. 4

Appendix 2: Botanical Report on the status of the Caoba tree Swietenia macrophylla in South Cesar

Búsqueda del árbol de “Caoba” Swietenia macrophylla en el sur del Departamento del Cesar

Según las encuestas realizadas en la localidad de estudio, se concluyó que SI HAY “Caoba” en el sur-este del Cesar e igualmente se reportan otras posibles localidades para encontrarlo, como la región del Catatumbo en Norte de Santander y el Sur de Bolívar en la Serranía de San Lucas. Otras Unidades (UCC) fueron identificadas como la: 3 del Sur de Bolívar y una nueva a incluir al oeste de Norte de Santander en el Catatumbo. Se rastreó información sobre la existencia del “Caoba” Swietenia macrophylla - Meliaceae en la UCC: 7 del sur del Cesar en visita a los municipios de San Martín, Aguachica, La Gloria y Pelaya. Se encuestaron pobladores, madereros, ebanistas, técnicos y profesionales forestales de instituciones públicas y particulares. Los nombres comunes usados en la región son principalmente Caoba, Ceiba roja y Cedro espinoso. Este árbol, se reporta como una especie que se distribuye en zonas de clima caliente y templado, aproximadamente desde 500 hasta 1200 m de elevación. Existen otras especies de árboles extraídos con fines madereros que son vulgarmente conocidos como Cedro negro, Jigua amarillo, Cedro carmín y Tolua. Por lo tanto es altamente crítica la situación de conservación para la población de “Caoba” en el Sur del Cesar.

Localidades identificadas

UCC 3: Sur-este del Cesar

Municipio La Gloria, Corregimiento de Ayacucho, Hacienda La Florida, clima caliente.

Municipio Pelaya-La Gloria, Sitio Tronadero, Lugar denominado Maicito y Singarare, clima cálido

Municipio de Pailitas y norte de Pelaya, Vereda La Virgen Cerros de Bobalí, clima cálido.

Corregimiento de Ayacucho, Zona alta de la Vereda El Paraíso, clima cálido.

UCC 7: Sur de Bolívar:

Municipios de Simití, San Pablo, El Bagre y Santa Rosa de la Serranía de San Lucas. La vía de movilización de la madera del “Caoba” es: Simití- Sur de Bolívar, Gamarra –Cesar, Aguachica- Cesar, Bucaramanga- Santander, Bogotá.

UCC 16: Norte de Santander:

Región del Catatumbo, nor-occidente de Norte de Santander en límites con Cesar.

Zona conocida como Tarra donde están los principales aserraderos.

Entidades visitadas

Se visitaron las alcaldías y UMATAS de los Municipios de Aguachica, La Gloria, Pelaya y San Martín y sus respectivas oficinas de planes de manejo. También fueron visitadas la Corporación Autónoma regional para la defensa de la meseta de Bucaramanga CDMB y Corporación regional del Cesar CORPOCESAR (Regional Aguachica).

Perspectivas

Se espera visitar de nuevo a los municipios del centro y norte del Cesar, Ocaña en Norte de Santander y si es posible, los alrededores de la región del Catatumbo, con el fin de ampliar la información obtenida sobre la especie.

48 Donegan, Huertas, Briceño, Arias & González

Appendix III: Expedition accounts Please contact the authors for details.